We started last week by looking at The Harvest of His Presence, and we were able to understand that if we sow into the secret place, we are able to Harvest the presence of God. And we know that God cannot be mocked whatsoever a man sows that will he reap. And we realized from that meeting that, it is so important for us to Harvest the presence of God. Because when we Harvest the presence of God, we Harvest possibilities into our lives. And we are able to do that, then we begin to walk in several victories that God has preordained for us. And I pray that will continue to be our experience in the name of Jesus.
Download Podcast: HOW GOD MODELS HARVEST
Today, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we would be looking at another part of the Harvest Series. And we will be looking at; "God Modeling Harvest." If we are going to flip it around, we could coin it into a question: "How Does God Models Harvest?" How does God Models Harvest to us? Our focus this morning is on what God does, what God did, and what God is doing. And by the time we understand what God did, and what God does, we will understand what God will do and what God is doing. We want to start by looking at Genesis 1. The book of the beginning. The Bible says in Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning 'God." That means everything started with Him. So, Harvest also starts with God. "In the beginning 'God'. But that's not exactly where we are locking down in Genesis this morning.
I want us to see Genesis 1:26. It says; “Then God said; let us make man in our image." God called a conference of the God-head and God said "Let us" in this conference, in this meeting, "let us make man" So God introduced an idea, God introduced the project, God said let’s engage in a project but this is an uncommon project. This is a project that far outweighs the ones we have done before. This time around, we want to make man in our image. We have been making territories, animals, lights, and different things. But this time around we want to make our image, we want to make ourselves. So, it's the same thing as saying I want to clone myself, I want to reproduce my kind. And that's what God introduced.
He said; "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man.” So, it was not an aborted project, God actually did it. So, you and I are products of God's project. And the project 'humanity' came not from a scientific fiction or collaboration, but from the God head. So, we are product of God's idea. So, "God created man in His own image" verse 27 is so important so that you don't think that 26 did not produce. God sowed an idea, and God had the Harvest.
So, "God created man in His own image" not the image of the Lion, not the image of an eagle, not the image of a bird. God created man in His own image. This verse 27 is important for all humanity. Verse 27, is the defining verse, for all humanity. "God created" no matter what heard in your biology class or integrated science class or in the university or in your anatomy and physiology class; this is the truth. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him.” You will wonder why this is a repetition. When you say God created man in His own image, we should be able to get it. It says; "in the image of God" so that you don't get it confused. "In the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them."
So, whether you are a woman or you are a man, whether you are a male version of man or the female version of man, you were created in the image and likeness of God. Now this truth is so important because it is foundational. Because, if you don't understand this Truth, you can't walk in the reality of the dominion God said in verse 26. You can't walk and experience the life that God has called you to live, and you won’t understand this message this morning. Because there is something God is about to seat deep into your spirit this morning that will translate into dominion for you, experiential dominion for you.
So that you can start walking in the image and likeness of God on the face of the earth. So that you start walking as a true son of the kingdom and not as a slave. This will create an experiential dominion for you. And it said in verse that 27, so you and I are created in the image and likeness of God. What that presupposes is that; there is nothing that God is able to do in His image, and in His likeness that the potential is not in you. The potentiality of the attributes and characteristics of God is in every human being. Because God created you, He did not create you after the order of an animal, He did not create you after the order of a plant, He created you after the order of His own image and likeness.
And you will understand it more, by the time we observe Hebrews 1. We building a foundation, please follow the Holy Spirit this morning; Hebrews 1:1-4. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.” So before, God used a means of reaching out. Because when Adam sinned and He lost the dominion mandate, he lost the experiential dominion in Genesis 1:26. He now started walking in defeat sold out to the devil. And what happened is that God started trying to gain back sons. But it says; “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. So, God raised Prophets. Prophets like Amos, Isaiah, Elijah, Prophets like Moses. He raised them up at various times and He spoke to them in various ways. God will tell a prophet like Hosea that He should go and marry a sister Gomez that God knew was a prostitute.
God told Hosea, I want to send a message across to Israel, but I will use your life to depict that message. And God instructed prophet Hosea go and marry Gomez that everyone knew was a prostitute. And God made the life of prophet Hosea, to be the picture of what He wants to show. The unfaithfulness of His people He wanted to communicate to them. So, God at various times will raise a prophet like prophet Amos who was a farmer that turned prophet. He will raise a prophet like Isaiah, prophet Jeremiah that was a youth. God will raise different prophets like prophet Elijah at those times and in various places. To depict to His people His mind and His will for them.
But it says; in verse 2 “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” In the past He spoke by the prophets, in this last days God is speaking by His son. And see what it says; "whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; This verse is so important for us because we must understand. God modelling Harvest to us. Showed us a classical example of a life of Harvest. When God sowed the seed and did not like the Harvest, God changed the seed. God in the time past spoke to the fathers by the prophets. That was the seed God raised, God raised seeds like prophet Hosea, prophet Amos, prophet Joel. Different people. He raised them to speak to His people at those times but the Harvest that God was getting, He did not like it. Because He now has people that has a slave mentality, people that were clean on the outside and rotten on the inside.
People that their only practice was to wash their hands and not their hearts, people that had God as a sign post and God was not living inside of them. People that were hypocritical in their disposition towards the things of God. And God said I don't like the Harvest that I am getting from the seed I have sown. And what did God do? From Hebrews 1:1-4 it said in verse two; in this last days God changed the seed. God now sowed His son. In John 3:16 -17 the Bible says; "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The Love of God compelled Him to change the seed. “For God so loved the world that ‘He gave’, He sowed His only begotten Son and so ever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” In Disciplers’ Convocation on Monday, the Holy Spirit was taking us through the mist that rise from the church and He made us to understand that when God wants to change anything, fix anything on the earth, God will raise seeds. He will raise children because anytime God is not comfortable with the Harvest He is getting, He changes the seed.
The same thing He is showing us here: He now sent His son, who is now speaking, through whom also He made the world. John 1:1-3. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” There was nothing that was made outside of Him. Everything was made in Him; He was with God in the beginning. So, continuing with Hebrews 1 verse 3 “who being the brightness of His glory” I want us to read the characteristics of the Son so that we understand the kind of Harvest God is expecting. “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
Talking about Jesus Christ. When God became uncomfortable with his Harvest, God changed the seed. How is God modelling Harvest to us? That this is where we started from; you are made in the image and likeness of God, you are made after the order of God, you were not made after the order of an angel, you were not made after the order of the 24 elders, you were made after the order of the image and likeness of God. When God wanted to Harvest back sons of the kingdom, what did He do? He sowed His Son into the field of the world to Harvest sons to the kingdom. I want us to understand the importance of this. I want us to see Ecclesiastes 11. Because when God Models something to us, it must become our way of life. Except you are not a kingdom citizen. Ecclesiastes 11 I will read from verse 4. “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 5 As you do not know what is the way of the [a]wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. 6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”
Now why this Scripture is so important that verse 4 says; “He who observes the wind will not sow” and that’s the characteristics of God. The Bible says; "while we were yet sinners Christ died" So while we were not worthy of the sacrifice, God sowed in hope. God sowed in hope, that we might all group for Him, that we might all long for Him, that we might all pants for Him, we were not panting for Him. And that is why as a child of God you must sow in the place of the word, in the place of prayer, even when the situation is not conforming. When the winds are contrary, you must sow like your Father. God modelled to us, that even when the wind is contrary, when the whole world had turned against God, God sowed His Son. So much so that the people Jesus was dying for were the same people that stoned Him.
The same people that Jesus was dying for were the same people that were cried out crucify Him. The same people that Jesus was dying for, was the same people that said give us Barnabas the thief and crucify this man. We don't want Him; we don't want to have anything to do with Him. So as a child of God, do you only sow when the wind is alright.
When the people love you, when the people say yes that's it, preach on pastor, share it brother. Or when they are not even looking at you, they are less concerned whether you are existing or not, are you sowing like your Father? He who observes the wind will not sow. Are you observing the wind? Are one who regards the cloud? Whether it's going to rain or not. It says such a person will not reap.
You won't have a Harvest that way. “As you do not know what is the way of the [a]wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed. That is how God did it. That's how God Models to us. Seed time and Harvest. When the world was less than one billion, God sowed for a time like this. And times to come, because He knew, that we need that sacrifice to come to the fullness of His will. How are we sowing as sons of God? Are we actually modelling what God is showing to us?
In the morning sow your seed, preach the word, declare the word, pray and study. And in the evening do not withhold your hand. “For you do not know which will prosper. Either this or that.” I am sure many of us are saying why should we even sacrifice ourselves for this present generation? Our young men and women are after entertainment, they are after so many things, but God is telling you to write a book, don't look at the weather. Don't observe the wind sow! God is instructing you to start a program for young people, “tag it God will save you.” You say God it is too obvious they won't come. Let us quote it. No! So that seed. Don't withhold your hand, because when God ask you to do something, it is not about that time, it's about the time to come. And I want to show us a parable that Jesus declared in Matthew 13 showing us example of God to us.
Matthew 13. I will read from verse 24-30 them I will read from verse 36 to 43. “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him” Just like we say to God, God didn't you sow good children on the Earth? Just like we heard on Monday in the discipler’s convocation, did you not bring to the time of delivery and cause birth? Didn't you release a generation that will do your will? So, what is happening?
Sir!”, Verse 27 “Did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.” So, God is not ignorant of what the devil is doing. But there is an attitude He wants us to have. And verse 28 says; “The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.” Verse 30; and this is what God is doing: “Let both grow together” I have sown good seeds on the earth but they will all grow together. The tares and the wheat will grow together, that's why you as a believer, you are living in a world where you are a wheat and there are tares around you. Because God has allowed the wheat and the tares to grow together.
It says; “let both grow together until the Harvest.” So, what differentiates where the wheat and the tares will be is the Harvest. And at the time of the Harvest see what God said He will do. "I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” The destination of the wheat is different from the tares but they will grow together. They will benefit from the same nutrients. It is called the mercy of God. The mercy of God that allows rain to fall both on the sinners and the sons. The mercy of God that allows the sinners to prosper, the mercy of God that allows the sinners to grow and the sons to grow but their destination. This how God Models to us Harvest.
It is not for you to be feeling bad, God how comes the tares are growing tall and I am growing tall? How comes the unbeliever is driving a car and I am also driving a car? How comes they are living in a house and I am also living in a house? God said let them grow together. But their destination is different. Until the time of Harvest. There is a time of Harvest. And when that times comes, see what God said about the interpretation of the parable in Matthew 13:36 down to 43.
“Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the Harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
And I know we have ears this morning, hear how God is modelling to us Harvest. As a child of God, there are certain things God is asking you to sow, sow the fruits of righteousness, become a tree of righteousness that bears fruits of righteousness, because when the Harvest will come, it will be gathered into the barn of God. The things that God is asking you to sow now is for the benefit of the kingdom. As a son of God, I want you to understand that there is a Harvest. And God Models to us seed and Harvest in all that He does. God sows His seeds (His word) into where He desires a Harvest. I don't know the area of your life where you are not comfortable with the Harvest you are getting, change the seed. Because when God wants a change of Harvest, He changes the seed. When God was not comfortable with the Harvest, He was getting from Israel through the seeds of Saul He changed the seed to David. When God was not comfortable with the seeds of Adam, that have been corrupted. God gave us an incorruptible seed in the person of Jesus Christ and it says we have been born with an incorruptible seed of the word of God. The express image, so our new mold is not defected.
So, if you are pouring into a mold that is defected, you don't have to change the product, change the mold. It is not what you are pouring into it that is the issue. It is the mold, it is defected. And that is why He is enjoining you: come and be born of the incorruptible seed of the word of God. Because the word is the perfect mold. It is the perfect mold for every Harvest experience that we desire in our lives. There is nothing about your life right now that is not in the word, the world was framed by the word of God. Let the word of God frame your world, you will not go bad in the hands of God. And it is so important for us to see this model, this is how your Father did it. And it said let it be like Son like Father. Do what God is doing and you will Harvest what God Harvest.
The Harvest of God is not always tied to mediocrity, it is excellence all the time. Because God does not look at the clouds to sow, God does not look at the winds to sow. God sows according to His will. So, if you key into the will of God, you will sow in the same direction and you will be able to Harvest. And I just want to enjoin you, this is a good time for us to receive the word of God, the engrafted word, let that word sink deep into your heart. If what you are having as Harvest is not comfortable for you, change the seed. That is how God Models to us Harvest. When God was uncomfortable with the Harvest He was getting in the world, He sowed Jesus, the express image of the invisible God. He sowed Him as a seed to the world, and you and I are the Harvest of that seed.
We are sons of the kingdom; sons of righteousness and it is a good time for us to also follow the same footstep of God. Children are Harvest of the father's seed. God speaks by His Son. God is speaking to you by His Son this morning. God is speaking to you by Jesus, come into the mold of Christ. If you are not yet born again, you are in a defected mold. Come into the perfect mold of Christ this morning, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, accept Him as the Lord of your life, and you will enter into a mold that can never be defected, be born of the incorruptible seed of the word of God which is Christ Jesus and you will see your life transformed. You will see your Harvest transits beyond time into eternity.
Because He said: “I have not come to condemn the world but through Jesus that the whole world be saved that you become a seed and a tree of righteousness.” I want you to pray! If you are not yet born again, accept Jesus into your heart. Say: “Jesus come and be the Lord and king of my life.” And if you are already saved, this is the time for you to say the areas that you are not comfortable with your Harvest. Say: “Lord, I am changing this morning. I want to look into the perfect law of liberty, I want to look into your will and draw out seeds for the Harvest I desire.”
When you look into the word of God, it is filled with seeds and with beautiful Harvest. Say: “Lord, I am making a commitment to sow according to your will”, because when you sow according to the will of God, you always sow a good seed on a good soil.
Amen!
