Galatians 6:7-10

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We Reap What We Sow

If you enjoy gardening, how do you feel when you dig into a helping of the vegetables you harvested? Oh, these beans are delicious! These carrots are so sweet! These are the juiciest tomatoes ever! For some reason, they taste just a little bit better than anything you might buy at the store or farmer’s market, don’t they? You enjoy reaping what you have sown. You plant the right seeds; you pull the weeds; you water the plants; and you enjoy the blessings of the harvest! You reap what you sow.

The Apostle gives us this lesson for our lives today as we take time for perspective. What is perspective? The dictionary defines it as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. The perspective our loving Lord gives us today is we’ll reap what we sow in our daily lives. If we sow to please our sinful nature, what would we reap? When we sow to please the Spirit, what will we reap? Let’s find out.

We reap what we sow. This maxim certainly applies to life in general. A youth who faithfully studies and prepares for adult life usually reaps the rewards of meaningful, productive work. The youth who sows wild oats, wasting his time on sinful excess may ruin his life. In marriage, sowing years of miscommunication and selfishness reaps harsh words and bitter feelings. Sowing seeds of love, consideration, forgiveness, mutual helpfulness and respect reaps the joy of a family peace and unity.

We reap what we sow. In our lesson the apostle applies this to our spiritual lives and eternal destiny. Sowing to please the sinful nature, living only to gratify the desires of our sinful flesh, will reap destruction, he warns. In chapter 5 Paul catalogues some of the open sins that result: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like” (5:19).

Oh, yes, we see plenty of those sins in the world around us. But sowing to the flesh is not only found among unbelieving people. Look at examples in Scripture: King David, a man after God's own heart, sowed to the flesh when he lusted after Bathsheba; Peter, when he thought more of his safety than of loyalty to Christ; Judas, by loving money more than Christ. You and I are tempted to sow to please the sinful nature since we still have that old self, that rebel against God, living within us. It taunts, “Go ahead! Who cares what the Ten Commandments say. Everyone else is doing it! It’s only once! No one will ever know! You can always be forgiven later!”

Perhaps the greatest danger confronting us is to sow to please that little self-righteous Pharisee that lurks within our hearts. We see people make a mess of their lives, and we are tempted to smugly think, “Of course they wrecked their lives! What else did they expect when they lived that way? They should have been more like me.”

What harvest do those who sow to the flesh reap? Destruction! King David destroyed his conscience and the latter part of his rule. Peter destroyed his bond with Jesus and his confidence as a disciple. Judas reaped the ultimate destruction as he totally lost his faith in Jesus as his Saviour. Destruction is eternal ruin, everlasting damnation, and eternal separation from God in hell. Think of Jesus’ account of the rich man in hell. He was in torment and longed for just a drop of water on his tongue. The world may laugh at God’s warning, but Paul answers, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.” His Word stands! “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law” (Gal. 5:10). Sowing to please the sinful nature never, never, never brings satisfaction in life. It always, always, always ends in tears, regret, and hell.

Do you realize why God gives us this stark warning? He loves us! He wants us to escape the destruction that comes from sowing to the flesh and to have life to the full, now by faith, and forever with Him in heaven! So, He promises, “The one who sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” What pleases the Spirit of God? He wants all to be saved! He wants you and me to be saved! Jesus told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

Thank God the Holy Spirit that He created the miracle of faith in us through our baptism! Thank God the Holy Spirit that He keeps us in faith through the Word and Sacrament. Through these Means of Grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to our Saviour’s cross where the Son of God, who had no sin, reaped the destruction we deserved for our sin. For Jesus’ sake, God has cleansed us from all sin and covered us in Jesus’ holiness. Since God our Saviour wants us to be saved, pleasing the Spirit means growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout our lives. When we do, He promises that despite our doubts and the times in weakness we still fall into sin, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippian 1:6)! Hear and learn God’s Word – please the Spirit! Remember your baptism – please the Spirit. Receive forgiveness and renewed faith and love at the Lord’s Table – please the Spirit! And, as surely God loves us in Christ, so we love Him and want to live for Him according to His Word -please the Spirit!

Paul notes in chapter 5, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle list, and self-control” (5:22-23). In our lesson he encourages, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (v. 9-10).

Are you tempted to think, “But aren’t we supposed to please ourselves first if we want to be happy? That’s what everyone else does! And when I do something good, no one notices or appreciates it anyhow”? Holy Spirit, drive such selfish thoughts out of our minds! Did our Lord grow weary in doing good? Did people always appreciate His self-sacrificing love? Yet He never grew tired of helping and teaching, suffering wrong and finally He even died for His enemies.

Our Lord teaches us not to do good for the sake of being seen and praised by others. We certainly don’t do good to earn eternal life. We receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life by faith in Jesus. Since we are living forever, Christ’s love compels us to do good to serve God and serve our neighbor. Every kind word we say, every kind act we do for Jesus’ sake, is a sign of the faith the Holy Spirit has given. Thank God for the perspective on life He has given us – we reap what we sow! By His grace, sow to please the Spirit! Amen.

Joshua 24:14-24

14 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

It’s a No-Brainer!

How many choices do you make every day? Sometimes it feels like life is on autopilot, doesn’t it? There’s not a whole lot of choice; you just follow a predetermined well-worn path. You get up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, go to work/school, do what your boss or teacher tells you to do, get home, eater dinner, watch TV, go to bed, rinse and repeat tomorrow. But even that predetermined, well-worn path is just a choice you’ve already made – you chose your job/career, you might have chosen your classes. And within that rut are all kinds of micro-choices you have to make, like what you’ll have for breakfast, which clothes you’re going to wear, whether you’ll talk to that weird person you pass in the hall every day, etc…

We are surrounded by choices. We make decisions every minute of every day. Some are difficult. Others are easy. It’s one thing to decide what you want to do when you grow up, where you want to go on vacation. It’s something else entirely to choose whether you drive within the lanes on the Henday or veer off into the ditch, whether you eat the Twinkie, or the wrapper it came in. Some choices are absolute no-brainers.

And that’s the kind of choice that Joshua laid before the people of Israel as they stood in the land God had been promising to give them for hundreds of years. He said, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.”

At first glance, when Joshua says, “Choose for yourselves whom you will serve,” it almost sounds like an invitation, e.g. “Go, do your research. Don’t take my word for it. Experiment. It doesn’t really matter which God you worship. Find the right one for you. Just don’t do nothing. Don’t be spiritually lazy.” After all, that’s what the world tells us, isn’t it? That’s the choice that our teenagers and university students and churchless adults confront every day. “There are so many religions out there. I just have to pick the right one for me. I just have to choose who my god will be.”

But that’s not what Joshua is saying at all. He doesn’t hold up the gods of Babylon and Egypt as viable alternatives to the God of Israel. What he’s trying to do is point out the hypocrisy and inconsistency that many of the Israelites embodied – the thinking: “I can follow the God of Israel and hold on to these other traditions and practices that are part of my family heritage, that my friends and neighbours value.” That’d be like pledging money to Poilievre’s campaign but voting for Trudeau. That’d be like rooting for the Oilers at Roger’s Place in the battle of Alberta while wearing a Flame’s jersey. The two things don’t go together!

And while we can come up with all kinds of historical or hypothetical examples of hypocrisy, it’s not always as easy or as pleasant to uproot our own. Do you remember these words? “Do you desire to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ, be diligent in the use of God’s Word and sacraments, and lead a godly life as the Lord gives you strength? If so, answer: I do, and I ask God to help me.” Many of us made that promise when we were confirmed or received into membership at this congregation. We made a solemn vow before God and each other. How have we done? Joshua told the people to throw away all of the other gods in their tents, the gods their forefathers worshiped alongside the true God. What are the gods of your fathers that have found a home in your tent?

Maybe your dad abused alcohol growing up, and you use that as an excuse to do the same, holding onto that empty god which promises everything and gives you nothing but a headache. You can’t serve both God and alcohol. Maybe your dad was always at work and didn’t have time for you as a kid, and you use that as an excuse to hold onto that empty god that promises success, but only leaves you fatigued to be faithful in the other areas of your life. You can’t serve both God and work. Maybe your mother was rude to your father growing up, and you use that as an excuse to hold onto that empty god that promises you the good feeling of superiority but only leaves you with burned bridges and a guilty conscience. You can’t serve both God and self. Is your god a busy-ness that neglects worship of the true God? Is your god greed? You can’t serve both God and money.

What are the idols in your tent? And which one will you choose – the one and only true God or one of the many empty gods that Satan uses to lead souls to hell? I suspect that everyone here today would say the same thing the Israelites did: “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD and serve other gods!...we will serve the LORD because he is our God!” And that’s the right answer! It’s the only answer; it’s a no-brainer. You might expect Joshua to be proud, but that’s not how he responds:

“You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you!”

Joshua knows his people! He knows that talk the talk, but don’t always walk the walk. Joshua is saying, “Don’t just say what you think God (or your pastor or your spouse or your mom) wants you to say. Don’t you know what kind of God you are dealing with? He is holy and jealous! Don’t you dare come to him thinking, ‘though it makes him sad to see the way we live, he’ll always say, ‘I forgive.’” Our God is not a soft cuddly Santa in the sky who drools over easy lip service. He is not a God who is pleased with our strongly worded confirmation vows when they are followed by weakly lived lives. You have to be all in!

I’m sure you’ve heard the hog and hen story. Both hog and hen were walking past a church and noted the pastor’s sermon title on the outside bulletin board. It read: “What can we do to help the poor?” As hogs and hens are wont to do, they entered into earnest conversation over the question as they continued on their way. At last, the hen had a bright idea: “I’ve got it!” She cackled, “We can help the poor by giving them a ham and eggs breakfast!” “Oh, no you don’t,” shot back the hog, “for you, that only means a contribution, but for me, it means total commitment.” The hog was right. That is Joshua’s point—there can be no chicken’s way out; we must go “whole hog” for Jesus.

So the question is not will you say you will only follow God and put away all other idols in your life. The question is are you willing to do it? What’s your choice? It’s easy to say something. It’s another thing entirely to back it up with action. But that’s what makes God’s choice so beautiful.

There Jesus was in the halls of his heavenly Father enjoying eternity in perfect glory, when suddenly he had a choice to make: Do I stay here in the painless perfection of heaven, or do I give up my glory and descend into the dirty, grimy world below and give up my life through torture and torment on a cross for a mass of humanity that likes to say they love me, but shows a different face entirely on Monday morning and Saturday night? The spectator might look at Jesus and think, “That’s a no-brainer. That’s an easy choice.” And Jesus would agree, but for an entirely different reason.

For Jesus it was a no-brainer to leave heaven and come to earth and die for you, because he loves you. For all the times our faith has faltered, for all the times we gave our attention to something/someone else, Jesus came to earth with consistent determination and undivided attention to save you. He marched to his death on the cross so that you could live with him forever in heaven. He took away your sin and your guilt and your shame and replaced it with peace and joy in his name.

And that’s not just a gift he gave to you 2,000 years ago, or a gift that will only apply to you on some undisclosed future occasion when you finally go to heaven. He still treats you with the same consistent determination and undivided attention today and every day. Think about that! How many times has your mind wandered in this one sermon? His attention is still on you. With all the things – all the cares and concerns he has all over the world, all at once – in his mind, there is nothing better to do than to love you. That’s your God.

And that’s why Joshua was able to make his pledge of allegiance: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Make it yours, too. This week, do some soul searching about the idols that you have allowed to stay in your tent and choose to throw them out and only serve the LORD. That is going to be hard. But remember who your God is. He is the one who delivered the Israelites from slavery, and provided for them in the desert, and led them to the Promised Land. And he’s done the same for you. He has delivered you from your sin. He provides for you every day. And he is preparing a place for you even now in his heavenly home.

So, people of God, choose this day whom you will serve. Give up your empty gods. Embrace the true God. It’s a no-brainer. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Amen.