Psalm 126. I can't unfold my notes by holding this
thing. Psalm 126. When the Lord turned
again, the captivity of Zion. And this is talking
about when they were brought out of Babylon after the 70 years
of captivity. When the Lord turned again the
captivity of Zion, we were like them to dream. Then was our mouth
filled with laughter and our tongue was singing. Then said
they among the heathen, the Lord has done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord,
as the streams in the south, they that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth
Bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him. Let's pray. Lord, how thankful we are for
who you are and how thankful we are that salvation is by your
grace. How we thank you for the revelation
of the glory of your son. And how we thank you for the
gift of faith that enables us to look to him only as everything
in our salvation. Accept our thanksgiving. We confess
our sin. We confess our need of your son
and your grace. We pray for your blessing upon
this time. Pray that you would speak from
your word. We pray for each person here that you would give us all
the grace to rely completely on your son. Be with all your
people wherever they meet together. Lord, we're so glad that you're
in control of everything. Bless us for Christ's sake. In
his name we pray, amen. Now if I would give this psalm
The title, I would call it Sowing and Reaping. And you get that
from verses five and six. They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth,
weeping, bearing precious seeds shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Sowing and Reaping. Now, there are two pitfalls that
I hope that you and I can avoid in considering this subject of
sowing and reaping. The first pitfall is looking
at somebody else and saying they're reaping what they've sown. That's called a judgmental, self-righteous
attitude. That's what it is. I think of
what Paul said in Romans chapter 2, verse 1, Therefore thou art
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges for you
that judges, doest the same things. If I look at somebody and say,
well, they're reaping what they've sown, for one thing, I don't
know what they've sown. And for another thing, I don't
know the circumstances, and I'm unable to make a judgment with
regard to that. I just don't know the facts.
You know, sometimes we say appearances are deceiving. Well, they're
always deceiving, and things are never as they appear. You
can just write that down. So if I think of this thing of
sowing and reaping, and I think, well, they're getting what they
had coming to them, what a horrible attitude. And the second pitfall
that I want to avoid, because this is a scriptural concept,
it's very important, but I want to avoid this pitfall. I don't
want to think that my circumstances are dependent upon the choices
I make. there's consequences to choices,
and there is, but I don't want to look at everything's dependent
upon the choice I make, because if that's the case, I'm in trouble,
and you are too, and you know, there's so many different things
that determine what choice somebody makes. It might have something
to do with their upbringing, or they're born into certain
circumstances, and you just, you can't make calls about this with regard
to yourself. Now you ask the Lord to give
you the grace to do what you're supposed to do. You do, and I
do. Lord, order my steps in your word. Let no iniquity have dominion
over me. That's our desire before the
Lord. But I don't want to look at this
thing of sowing and reaping, and this is what this psalm is
about, in a wrong light. I want to look at it in a scriptural
light. When the Lord turned again, verse
one, the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Now this refers to them returning
to Jerusalem after a 70 year exile in Babylon. And they were
saying, we must be dreaming. This is too good to be true. And I love it when you're enabled
to say this with regard to the gospel. This is too good to be
true. Isn't that a wonderful blessing of God's grace when
we can look at what he's done for us and say, this is too good
to be true. It's not that we don't believe
it, but we're just so exhilarated by the freeness of his grace.
This is too good to be true. This is glorious. This is great. Verse two, the psalmist said,
then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue was singing. We were so happy. as far as the
way we felt. Everything's great. Then was
our tongue filled with singing. And they said among the heathen,
the Lord had done great things for them. The heathen could see
what the Lord's done for us as we're brought back from captivity. Verse three, the Lord has done
great things for us where we're glad. Now, here is the confession
of our faith. This is every believer's testimony. The Lord has done great things. And you think of the great things.
Think about being eternally united to Christ. How great is that? To be eternally united to Jesus
Christ so that I've always been in him. The great things of him
choosing me, him keeping the law for me. Him redeeming me? paying for my sins, Him justifying
me, making it so where I stand before God, I stand before God
without guilt as one who has never sinned. The great thing
of Him regenerating me, giving me life from the dead, the great
thing of Him preserving me, the great thing of Him glorifying
me, all the great things that He has done. Isn't that our confession,
the great things that He has done? Oh, that's every believer's
testimony. I pray that if I give my testimony,
it's only going to be this, the great things he hath done. You know, that's one of the reasons
why I hate religious personal testimonies. I can't stand them because they're
just putting the attention on I was this way, now I'm that
way. The great things he hath done. The Lord has done great
things for us wherever we're glad. Now, as long as we're still
in these sinful bodies, we're going to be praying this prayer,
turn again our captivity. Turn again our captivity. I love where the psalmist said
in Psalm 81, turn us again. Oh Lord God of hosts, cause thy
face to shine and we shall be saved. Turn us again. Jeremiah said, turn me and I'll
be turned. And that's what every believer
desires. Turn me, don't leave me to myself,
turn me. And here the psalmist says this
again, turn us again. Turn again our captivity, oh
Lord, as the streams of the south. And then we have these two verses
with regard to sowing and reaping. They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth
bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing
his sheaves with him. Now these verses are generally
used by people to talk about the preaching of the gospel. If I preach the gospel weeping,
bearing this precious seed, and there's a lot of truth to that.
Weeping is strong emotion, strong desire. And when I preach the gospel
and when I, I don't want to do so like a computer. I want to
weep over the people I'm preaching to. If they don't know the Lord,
I want to have that attitude in my heart. Turn with me, hold
your finger there and turn with me to second Corinthians chapter
five. I want us to see the way Paul
preached the gospel. Second Corinthians chapter five. Verse 18, And all things are
of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, namely,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation. Now then, We are ambassadors
for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead
be ye reconciled to God. Now what an attitude. I hope
by the grace of God that I can preach like that, with that attitude
in my heart. That's the only way to preach,
really. That's the only way for us to witness. It's not bashing
people and trying to get them straightened up. It is, like
Paul said, we beseech you. We beseech you as God did beseech
you by us. And that passage of scripture,
I don't even know what to say about it, other than read it
and say this is the way it is to be done. And truly, with regard
to preaching the gospel, they that sow in tears, This is talking
about strong emotion and desire. They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth
bearing precious seed, the precious seed of the gospel, shall doubtless
come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaths with him. Now, while I certainly think
that that has an application, I don't think it's the main teaching. This is talking about a spiritual
law of sowing and reaping, and it's very scriptural, and it's
throughout the gospel. Now, first let me say that if
salvation were not of grace, if I reap what I sow, guess what?
I'm going to hell. And you are too. If God gives
me and you what we have sown, we will reap destruction. Do you believe that? It's most
certainly true. But this thing of sowing and
reaping. First, I got to say, I'm so thankful
for grace. before I even get into it. You
know, this thing of sowing and reaping first. Don't ever think
of it apart from the grace of God. Now, I've already stated
if salvation were not all of grace, we'd all be in hell. But
thank God salvation is all of grace. Now, there are two responses
to that. One is the response of law, and the other is the
response of love. Somebody hears salvation is all
of grace, it has absolutely nothing to what you do, and the response
of law is, well, that would lead to lawlessness. That would lead
to indifference. That would take away my motive
for obedience if salvation is all of grace. All that is is
the response of law. That's it. You know, law never
produces love. Only grace does. But when you
hear salvation being freely of grace, if your response is, that's
scary. I mean, if I, that could give
me a license to do all, just, if that's your response, that's
a response of love. The response of love is, thank
God, give me grace to walk in your ways. What is this thing of sowing
and reaping in the scriptures? Now turn to Galatians chapter
six. Galatians chapter six, verse six. Let him that is taught in the
word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived. God is not mocked
for whatsoever a man soweth That shall he also reap. 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. Now you sow to the
flesh. If you look to your flesh for
salvation, guess what? You'll reap what you sow. If you look to your flesh, your
works for salvation, you will reap what you sow. If you look to Christ only, you
will reap what you sow. Now they're sowing and reaping.
I know it's by the grace of God. If the Lord leads you to yourself
and me and myself, we will of the flesh reap corruption. And
if he gives us the grace to sow to the spirit, looking to Christ
only, and that's what sowing to the spirit is, we will reap
what we sow. I love this. God will meet us
on the ground we want. You come on the basis of your
works, God will meet you there. and you'll reap what you sow.
You come looking to Christ only, God will meet you there, and
you'll reap what you sow. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians
chapter eight, or nine, rather. Now, in 2 Corinthians chapter
eight and chapter nine, The subject is giving. A very important subject. Giving. And look what he says
in verse six. But I say, but this I say, he
would sow with sparingly shall reap sparingly. And he would
sow with bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according
as he purposes in his heart, so let him give. Not grudgingly, unwillingly,
or of necessity, I know it's my duty, for God loveth a cheerful
giver. Now here he's speaking of giving,
and he says if you give, if in your giving you give bountifully,
you'll reap bountiful blessings. Now does it mean if you give
$100, you'll get $1,000 in return somehow? That's the way most
people look at that. That's not so. It might be that you go in
the poorhouse from your giving. I've heard people say he gives,
his generosity is to a fault. That's impossible. You can't
be generous to a fault. And if you go in the poor house
for your giving, praise God from whom all blessings flow. I mean,
he's in control of everything and you know that. But you will
reap bountiful blessings from the Lord in giving. It's more blessed to give than
to receive. The Lord said that. That's why
the Lord's always the more blessed. He's the giver, we're the receiver.
Um, and if you give grudgingly, if you give, um, of necessity,
because it's your duty, if you give, well, I need to give that,
uh, well, you'll reap, uh, very sparse blessings in that sense. And, and my attitude toward giving
is this giving, may God give me the grace for this to be my
attitude of the money he gives me, giving comes first. Not after
my bills are paid, my entertainment's taken care of, and I've saved
what money I want, I give out of the leftovers. That's not
the way to give. Giving is to come first in my attitude about
the money the Lord gives me. And he says very clearly, you
sow bountifully, you'll reap bountifully. You sow sparingly. you will reap sparingly. And this principle is so true
in everything. For instance, in Matthew chapter
six, the Lord deals with works of charity, almsgiving, works
of devotion, prayer to the Lord, works of self-denial. He's talking
about fasting and that those things represent a our attitude
toward others, our attitude toward the love, toward the Lord, our
attitude toward ourself. But he said this, if you're doing
what you're doing to be seen of men, you'll get your reward. You'll reap what you've sown,
and a miserable reward that is. If I do what I do simply to be
seen of men, I'll reap what I sow. I'll get it. And what a reward,
what a miserable reward That is. Turn with me for a moment
to Luke chapter six. The Lord speaks so clearly here. Of course, he always
does speak clearly. I don't even know why I'd say
that, but look what he says in verse seven. 27, Luke chapter 6, but I say unto
you, which here, I want to be one of those people that hear,
don't you? I say, And to you which hear, love your enemies,
do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and unto him that smite
thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that
taketh away thy cloak, forbid him not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that ask thee, and of him that taketh away thy
goods, ask them not again. And as you would that men should
do to you, do you also to them likewise. That's true in every
case. For if you love them which love
you, what thank have you? That word thank is grace. For
sinners also love those that love them. And if you do good
to them which do good to you, what, where's the grace in that?
What thank have you? For sinners also do even the
same. And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive,
that's what you're hoping to reap. What grace have you for
sinners also? Lend to sinners to receive as
much again, but love your enemies and do good, and lend, hoping
for nothing again, and your reward shall be great. And you shall
be the children of the highest, for he is kind unto the unthankful,
unto the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as
your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not
be judged. There's reaping and sowing. Condemn
not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
Give, and it shall be given to you, good measure. Press down
and shaken together and running over shall mean given to your
bosom. For with the same measure you meet, that meet with all,
it shall be measured to you again. Now that is reaping and sowing. Turn with me for a moment to
Proverbs chapter 14. I think this is a clear illustration
of reaping and sowing. Proverbs chapter 14, verse 4. Where no oxen are, the crib is
clean. You don't have to clean the stalls.
There's not a lot of work to do where there's no oxen. The
crib's clean. You got it made. Crib's clean. But much increase is by the strength
of the ox. Man, if you got an ox, here's
what's gonna happen. You're gonna have to clean the
stalls. You're gonna have to feed him. He's gonna be expense. There's gonna be all kinds of
trouble. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to
just not have an ox? Yeah. But you won't have any
food. Much strength comes, much increase
comes from the strength of the ox. And somebody says, well,
I don't want to mess with all the trouble involved with an
ox. Okay. but forget the ingrace. That's
exactly what is being said in this thing of sowing and reaping. Now, you know, it, there, and
I wanna say this in a limited sense, and you can take this
however you want. I don't know how to say it because
it's a limited sense. You reap what you sow. You choose to not deal with all
the Trouble of having an ox, you'll reap what you sow. You
choose to have the trouble of keeping up that ox and keeping
that crib clean and all the work and toil and trouble that's involved
with it, you'll reap what you sow. There is strength in the
increase of that ox. Now you can just take that as
far as you want to take it. In that sense, we reap what we
sow. So now think of the Lord's words,
ask and you shall receive. You reap what you sow, don't
you? Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened
to you. What about this? He that exalts
himself, what? Shall be abased. He that humbles
himself shall be exalted. That's sowing and reaping, isn't
it? You take the highest seat, you're going to end up with shame
going down to the lower place. You take the lowest place, you
will be exalted. I think of this Proverbs 18,
24, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. You reap
what you sow. If you're interested in other
people, you'll have friends. If you're self-absorbed, you'll
not have friends. You'll reap what you sow. I don't have any friends. People
are so mean. People are so indifferent. People
don't care about me. People, hold on. He that would have friends must
first show himself friendly. You reap what you sow. What about
the athlete with less natural gifts and more effort than the
gifted? He's generally the one who excels.
You reap what you sow in relationships. We'll reap what we sow in our
marriage. We'll reap what we sow in the ministry. I'll reap
what I've sown. Now, I pray God will give me the grace to reap
right, but if I have a fatalistic, indifferent, lackadaisical, attitude
toward the ministry, I'll reap what I sow. If I give my heart
and soul, may the Lord give me grace to do that. I know if I
do it, it's only because he gives me the grace to, but I will reap
what I sow. I want to close by one last scripture,
Ecclesiastes chapter 11. Verse one, cast thy bread upon the waters,
for thou shalt find it after many days. Now, what's that mean?
If you can't see where any good will come out of your sowing,
do it anyway. Cast your bread on the waters.
In the end, it'll come back to you. You might not see any good.
You might not see anything pragmatic about it. You might not see what
good it will accomplish. It's nothing but trouble. Cast
it anyway. Cast it anyway. And in the end,
the Lord will take care of it all. May the Lord give us grace
to have the right attitude about this thing of reaping and sowing.
If I think so-and-so, they're reaping what they've sown. What
a haughty, here's another what you sow. Pride goes before destruction. And before honor is humility. There's a sowing and rooping,
isn't it? It's a big principle in the scripture. May the Lord
give us wisdom in this. Okay.