Do I care? Do I believe?

I’ve been serving Jesus now for 18 years, 13.5 of which has been in pastoral ministry. I’ve studied hard, preached as accurately and in line with scripture as I could. I’ve tried to hit all the important topics and even the not so important ones. I’ve worked to make biblical principles and application clear, so we can know what the Bible says and do what the Bible says.

Some of the topics I’ve addressed in the last 16 months are sex (4), relationships (13), Finances (5), life fulfillment (4), leadership (2), attitude (2), healing (1), spiritual disciplines (11), mission (13); false spirituality (4); practical Christian living (8) and within each series I address many other issues we face as human beings.

The point: In this time I’ve watched people continue to struggle with poor financial management even though I’ve preached on the subject 5 times. I’ve seen relationships suffering and even ending in divorce even though I’ve taught on healthy relationships at least 13 times. In spite of preaching on mission and personal responsibility and life fulfillment about 25 times very few of our people are really sharing Jesus with the lost. And in spite of talking about spiritual disciplines at least 11 times we still have people that are not reading their Bibles, making prayer a priority, are not connected in fellowship, are not generally applying the Bible as they learn it, and in a nutshell aren’t maturing.

So what? Well, I have had to ask myself the question… What will make the difference? Because year after year I see some peoples lives transformed and others stay bad or even get worse. Even in my own life, knowing what I know, there are times I fail to experience God’s best in particular areas of my life. Why?

Why have some people heard the messages I’ve taught and they’ve grown and benefited from them? Their life and relationships and finances have been changed! But others have heard the same messages and been unchanged or perhaps have even gotten worse.

What is the answer? What’s the difference between these two groups? It’s not the message I teach, that’s the same for both.

I realized while driving for 4 hours and talking with Marne (my wife) that THE key issue is three things:

1) Do I care? Meaning, do I the individual care about the issues in my life and trying to change them and thus do I care about what I can learn and apply from the message of God’s word?

Relationships… Do I really care about the person(s) I’m in relationship with and thus do I care what this message is saying about how I can experience God’s best in this area of my life?

Finances… Do I really care about being a good steward, having financial freedom, pleasing God, helping others, and being out of debt and thus do I care what this message is saying about how I can experience God’s best in this area of my life?

The degree that people care is the degree that transformation becomes possible, because it’s to the same degree that information becomes more than just data, but life!

The honest answer for most people on this first question is, NO! I’m content to live in this mess. I’m to tired or lazy or hopeless to put forth the effort it will take to even try to change if it’s even possible. And that leads us to #2.

2) Do I believe? Meaning, do I the individual believe that with God and doing things His way my circumstance can really change and be great instead of nominal. Do I believe God will really keep His promise to change this situation?

This can be a cause or an affect from the first issue of “Do I care?” but the point is, this is often the energy source needed to do what needs done to make the changes.

If I have no hope for the future, I’ll have no strength for the present.

If I don’t believe the goal is attainable, I will not be motivated to put forth effort to reach it.

Crazy thing is, what I believe I can do I can and what I believe I can’t do I can’t. Jesus made it very clear, according to our faith things happen.

3) Selfishness. Most people suffer and don’t experience God’s best because they’re not willing to die to the selfish desires in their life. They aren’t willing to kill the behavior that gives them mediocrity and surrender to and apply the behavior that will give them great.

Relationships… They know certain behaviors are destructive, but they don’t care, because they care more about gratifying themselves through the destructive behavior.

Finances… They know certain behaviors are poor stewardship, displeasing to God, and beyond their financial means, but they don’t care, because they want it and they want it now! If they can’t afford it, that’s okay, use plastic!

It’s easy to break these down and identify them in discussion, but in real life these are connected with each other, kind of like the triangle of death.

I would say in my humble assessment of the people I’ve ministered to over the years these are the 3 core issues of peoples being victorious or victims, living nominal lives or great lives, being spiritual dynamos or luke-warm religious folk. I’ve seen probably thousands of people hear the same information from me; some it helped and some it didn’t. What was the difference, the message or the heart of the hearer?

The sowing and reaping principle

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed... Matthew 13:31

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever." 10Now 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. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2Corinthians 9:6-11

Based on these texts we see the Kingdom of God is based on a seed/sowing and reaping principle.

This is a breakdown of five key principles of sowing and reaping. There are other principles to entertain: Quality of soil, preparation of soil, quality of seed, tending the seed planted, and so on. A lot can be said for each of these.

The goal of this message is to address more of the outcome of the sowing and reaping as opposed to the full process from start to finish.

It’s important to note that these principles apply to every area of life, not exclusively to agriculture, finances, or whatever you might isolate it to. The fact is Jesus taught that this is the principle of the Kingdom of God, not a piece of it, but the whole thing. Every promise, every circumstance and issue, all of it!

Here are 5 key principles we need to understand.

1. You reap/harvest what you sow/plant.
If you want tomatoes don’t plant apple seeds. If you sow love, in time, you will reap love. If you plant material blessings, in time, you’ll reap material blessings. If you plant nothing, you’ll get nothing.

2. The degree/measure that I plant is the degree I will harvest.
The more seed I plant, the more plants will grow and the more fruit will be produced. One seed equals one plant, but usually more than one fruit grows on a plant, so the return on planted seed is a multiplied return, not just addition. God multiplies blessings upon us.

3. God’s plan is to make me abound (in context financially, but God intends for us to abound in all grace in every good work and this includes every area of life).
To abound means to go above. It means on a scale of 1 to 10, 11. Abounding means to exceed the need. In vs 8 we’re told God will cause “all grace to abound” (it’s His intention to exceed the need and provide richly for) so that we may “abound in every good work”. We’re told in vs 11, “you will be made rich in every way…” Rich meaning more than enough or abundantly supplied for, in every way. Whatever need I face material, physical, emotional, etc I will be richly provided for.

4. As the seed grows and produces fruit, remember that not all that fruit is for you to eat… within the fruit is more seed to plant and produce more!
It’s important to note that God gives us both seed and bread. Seed is for planting, bread is for eating. Note that God brings increase of seed first, so it’s increase for planting first then increase for consumption. Too many of us are quick to take the blessing of the Lord and consume it, but we’re eating our seed. This leads us back to principle #1, if I don’t plant anything I won’t reap anything. So, be prayerful and careful about blessings in your life. Why did God bless you in this way? Is the blessing bread to meet a need or want in your life or is it seed that God expects you to use to meet a need or want in the life of someone else? You can only answer this through prayer and discernment.

5. From planting to harvest is called a season. It takes time for seed to grow and produce fruit. It’s a process, not instantaneous.
We must understand that the blessing is not always an instantaneous result. Often times there is a season involved for the seed we’ve planted to grow, mature, and become fruit bearing.

Impatience will rob us of the fruit/blessing. Impatience will see no immediate fruit and say, “This isn’t working!” “This takes too long!” “This is too hard!” and quit. We get impatient and angry and we abandon the seed (watering it with our faith and praise), or we’ll cut down the fruitless plant before it’s season of fruit bearing. The bottom line is our impatience and lack of faith/trust in God robs us of what would have come to us in due season. We get angry at God about it, but who’s to blame? Not God, not even the Devil, it’s me! My own self is to blame, no body else.

Take the time to consider how these principles apply to your relationship with God, spouse, parents, children, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, even your enemies.

Take the time to consider how these principles apply to your health, wealth, and so on.