Be Not Deceived; God Is Not Mocked

Temple Baptist Church - 1-20-2010

Galatians 6:7-10

Introduction:

A. The verses that we read tonight are so plain; so clear that even a fool should be able to understand them. And yet, we consistently fall prey to Satan’s device of sowing and reaping. God has set certain laws that are automatics. What goes up must come down. For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.

B. God has set spiritual laws in place that are also what we call “automatics.” One is found in these verse and we need to take a close look at what we already know!

C. Let me give you a little scenario that will make perfect sense out of these verses. Say that I decided to plant a little garden in the back of the house. I cleared, plowed, and prepared the ground. Then, I went to the seed store and carefully looked over all of the possible kinds of seed that I could plant. After much scrutiny, I chose to buy some Silver Queen corn to plant. I picked it out, carried it to the counter and paid for it, took it home and carefully planted it, watered it and worked the ground for a couple of months, and—finally—harvest time came. I began to harvest and suddenly realized that I was harvesting corn! I became perplexed! The more I harvested, the more corn I got. Finally, I get mad! I am mad at the store owner! I go back down to the seed store and complain because I bought good corn seed and did not get one pole bean out of it; only corn! We get the same way with God! I sow to the flesh; reap corruption; and I am mad at God! I am mad at the world because neither was corn expected nor was it wanted! I wanted Pole Beans! What a foolish scenario!

D. Foolish? Yes, we would laugh at that and say that I was crazy to expect beans when I had intentionally, knowingly planted corn. Thus it is with sin! We pick it out, pay for it, plant it, water and plow it, then get mad at God when we do not reap blessings and good things.

E. Let us take a careful look at what everyone of us knows concerning the sowing to both the flesh and the Spirit.

1. The Deception of Sin – Corn and beans do not deceive us but there is just something about sin that makes us think that things will be different. We can sow to the flesh and, instead of reaping corruption, we expect to reap the blessings of God and happiness in this life!

a. Deceived By Satan – He is just so subtle! Slicker than “Slick Willie!”

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

b. Deceived By Sin – It just looks so good and makes for so much fun.

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
c. Deceived By Self (the worst of all deceptions) – Bad things happen to other people, not to us. We can sin and get by with it while others have to pay the price.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2. The Workings of Sin

James 1:14-16 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

a. Sin’s Character – “own lust”

b. Sin’s Conception – “lust hath conceived”

c. Sin’s Culmination – “death”

3. The Reaping of Sin – Galatians 6:7-8 “Be Not Deceived; God Is Not Mocked”

Laws of Sowing and Reaping or “Laws Of The Harvest”

a. The Principle of Sowing - “lust hath conceived” - You always sow before you reap

b. The Product of Sowing - “bringeth forth sin” - You always reap what you sow

c. The Payoff of Sowing - “tempted - lust - sin - death” - You always reap more than you sow

d. The Period of Sowing - “when it is finished” - You always reap later than you sow

e. The Perplexity of Sowing - “Do not err” - You are always shocked at the harvest

Galatians 6:7-10

A. The Sorrow Of Sowing - 7-8

1. The Deception Of Sowing To Corruption – 7 “Be not deceived”

Romans 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

2. The Discovery Of Sowing To Corruption – 7 “God is not mocked”

Romans 2:6-10 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

3. The Deciding Of Sowing To Corruption - 7-8 “Whatsoever a man soweth ... soweth to his flesh” - our decision

Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

4. The Destruction Of Sowing To Corruption – 8 “Shall of his flesh reap corruption”

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
Proverbs 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

B. The Satisfaction Of Sowing - 8-9

1. The Direction Of Sowing - 8 “To the Spirit”

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

2. The Desire Of Sowing – 8 “Shall of the Spirit reap”

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

3. The Dividends Of Sowing - 8 “Life everlasting”

Galatians 6:8 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.

4. The Discipline Of Sowing - 9 “Let us not be weary ... faint not”

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

5. The Dereliction Of Sowing - 9 “Weary in well doing”

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

6. The Duty Of Sowing – 10 “Good unto all men ... especially ... household of faith”

1 John 3:13-19 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.