The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
00:01 Well, it's great to be here. It's great to be in church again uh as every Sunday
00:06 and uh we're going through a a series um on ecclesies uh since a couple of weeks
00:11 already and we find ourselves in chapter 11 today and I think throughout this
00:17 whole series we have been um hearing about definitions of wisdom. I think
00:23 last week Jeff took us through a number of definitions of wisdom as well. And I would like to start off with an
00:28 additional definition of uh wisdom one more time today. Especially since we have um the youth with us today. Um I
00:35 want to ask a couple of questions. Do we think it's wise to tell the youth here
00:40 who sitting here today um to not go to school
00:46 and spend the rest of their time just playing video games? Yes. Yes.
00:55 All right, fools. Um um the the main reason why we why we say
01:02 it's it's it's silly, it's foolish, is because we're saying it's good for them to invest time right now, to work hard
01:08 right now, because they will reap in the future a great benefit. Um how how about this? How about we tell
01:14 a college student, somebody who's about to go to college, and saying, "Whatever college fund your parents have given you, take it and go on a big holiday to
01:22 Europe and America, waste all and and then we'll see what happens later." Is
01:27 that is that wisdom? Yes.
01:33 Oh dear. This is not working out the way I hoped it would. I thought it was a rhetorical
01:39 questions I was asking. I guess I hope that true um to my explanation today we might come to different conclusions. Um
01:46 no but I I think again we think it's foolish because we believe that that working hard today and and not focusing
01:52 on the temporary joys but rather focusing on a longlasting significant
01:57 joy that happens later on is wisdom and focusing on temporary is foolish. Just
02:02 like we won't tell a young couple who just got married to take all their wedding money and instead of buying a
02:07 house, you know, rent a luxurious condo for six months. Uh no, we think no, you
02:12 put an investment into into a house. Um don't don't just enjoy the temporary. Uh focus on the eternal, focus on the long
02:19 term. And so it's it's wisdom to say it's it's foolish. I mean, it's foolish to focus on the temporary
02:26 in light of the eternal. by its wisdom to focus on the eternal and the long
02:32 term and let that define how you act in the temporary. Right? So we can say it's it's wisdom to let the eternal define
02:40 your temporary. It's wisdom to let your destination define how you walk,
02:46 right? That that that's wisdom. How where and especially in the light of eternity, let your eternity
02:52 define how you act today in the temporary. And I think that's wisdom. And I think that's wisdom that we can
02:58 all agree to. And I think my favorite way of saying is let your let your
03:03 destination define how you walk. Um it's it's clear even when we try to travel
03:09 anywhere. Um it's foolish just to go on the road, but let's have a destination and we know the path we must take and
03:16 and how we should walk to that destination. I think that's wisdom. And there's something I want to keep in mind for us today as we go through the
03:23 passage that is presented uh before us today. And before we get to that passage, let me start us off in a word
03:29 of prayer. Father Lord, we
03:35 come before you. Um we ask that your word today will will truly speak to our
03:41 hearts, convict our hearts. Uh Father, we just ask that you will change our minds, transform our minds, change our
03:47 lives. Father, help us put ourselves under the authority, under the authority of your word.
03:53 Let us not be fooled by by worldly wisdom and what what economics say, what business is saying, what everybody else
03:58 says. Let us let us focus on what you say in your word.
04:04 So, Father, today as as we we come before you, I ask for grace. I ask for your grace for me to speak clearly and
04:10 boldly your word to not let my own sin stand in the way of representing your
04:16 word today. And father I I pray that we will be
04:21 convicted today and change our lives. Our prayer is in Jesus name. Amen. Um take risks boldly but wisely is
04:30 um the title um today and uh we're going to go through three points and I think the text is is divided very simply for
04:37 us today. It's just six verses. So we won't be spending too much time uh today. It's a quick thing to go through
04:44 these six verses. Um the first two verses say be bold but wise. Uh the next
04:49 two act now don't overanalyze and thirdly seize every opportunity
04:56 to sow. Um let's firstly go into the first imagery. So there's a lot of imagery uh
05:03 today in the text and I'll try to shed some light in the imagery first and then see how that applies to our lives today
05:09 and then see sometimes how it how it looks like in light of the New Testament because you know Ecclesiastes in the Old
05:14 Testament it was written not uh before Christ came. So there might sometimes be different applications and we want to
05:21 see if if the message still holds in light of the New Testament. And so we'll be doing some of this work today. And
05:26 the first imagery we see here is cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days. Now the first
05:35 thing I think of if cast the bread upon the waters for you might find it in many days. I mean if I put bread on the water
05:42 I mean it's going to go soggy. It's going to look like this, right? I mean you're putting all this toast bread. You
05:47 know use gardinia because you'll eat the masimo bread. Um uh but so you're casting you're casting
05:54 the the toast bread upon the waters. What's going to happen? It's going to grow soggy. It's going to sink. I mean, how will you find it? How will you get
06:01 it returned? How you how you get it back? But maybe you must think differently because back then they didn't have this kind of toast bread.
06:06 They had unleavened bread. So it's more like a pa bread or maybe like a chapati or roti, right? So you put the the roti
06:13 on the on the bread. It might float a little longer. Uh still if you find it back, I mean, do you want to eat it? Uh
06:19 I'm not quite sure if if that's what you want. So it seems that this this imagery used does not ask that that we receive
06:27 exactly that bread back that we that we receive something in return. So forever when we give we will receive something
06:34 in return. Some other imagery that was used by commentators is the fact that it could be um thinking of Solomon's ships.
06:40 So um he's actually sending corn onto the boats and and then sending it out uh to the nations and it's a risky boldly
06:48 move just like putting bread onto the water thinking you'll get something back. Um because as you bring those
06:53 those ships over the lands for trade um anything could happen. You might not get those boats back. You might not get the
06:58 grain back and the ship might sink. The grain might go foul. I mean there's there's different risks. It's a risky
07:04 move to put boot do that. But Solomon used to do that and they used to have great spoils that come back and they get
07:10 greatly in return but not immediately. It took like two or three years. So there are some risk involved but that's the imagery we get here as well. But
07:16 regardless of what imagery we use, the ultimate message is this.
07:22 Share and give boldly and take risks in giving and take your bread whatever you have
07:30 whatever God has given you and put it onto the waters have faith that when you do that when you give freely and give
07:37 riskfully and and give boldly that you will receive something in return. So
07:44 it's asking us to be bold. It's asking us to take risks in our giving. It's not saying prepack something. It's not
07:50 asking you to to keep the grain for yourself. No, it's putting it on the water. It's a it's a bold risky move.
07:56 Now, the question is which I want to ask. It says here you will
08:02 find it after many days. It doesn't say you might find it after many days. It says you will. There's some kind of
08:08 certainty that is put there in this text. Now, the question is does this
08:14 certainty uphold in light of other passages in scripture? And I think it does. If you look in for example
08:19 proverbs it says whoever is generous to the poor lends to the lord and he will repay him for his deed. So if if you
08:26 give to the poor he will repay him for his deed. And if you continue now even
08:31 light of the new testament let's look at some passages for example in Luke uh it says but love your enemy and do good and
08:38 lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the most high etc. So you
08:46 will your reward will be great. It's not a a if, it's a it's a definite will. And
08:51 here again in Luke 14:12-4, a passage that we went through um uh quite some time back, u when you give a
08:58 dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, less they
09:03 have um they less they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the
09:10 crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. for you will be repaid at the
09:16 resurrection of the just. Again, you will be repaid. It's not a conditional.
09:22 It's it's a definite. So, it seems to be in the light of the
09:27 Old Testament and the New Testament that if we give boldly, we will be repaid.
09:35 Now, of course, the time frame is very important. I think here, especially in this passage in Luke, it says, "When
09:42 will you be repaid? It says at the resurrection of the just. So it doesn't
09:49 mean that we'll be paid immediately. It doesn't mean we'll be repaid in this world with with immediate kind. It could
09:55 be spiritually. It could be in a future. The guarantee of God though is that whatever you do will be repaid.
10:03 The guarantee lies in a future hope on the resurrection of the just.
10:09 that whatever trials and difficulties that we have is producing for us internal weight of glory. And in Hebrews
10:15 it says this that even though those who were commended for their faith did not receive what was promised to them
10:23 because God had something better in store for them. So yes, they will receive back but it's at a future time.
10:31 Many people misread this and think that if I give today, I must receive back greatly uh right now. found. It's what
10:37 we call uh the beginnings of a prosperity gospel or technically what we're saying is an overrealized
10:43 esquetology. What that means it's believing what is for tomorrow is deserved for us today. So that's not
10:51 what the guarantee is. The guarantee is that we will be repaid. But it says here when the guarantee
10:59 comes in the resurrection of the just in the future time doesn't mean we can't get blessings today. Doesn't mean that we might not get some temporal blessings
11:05 and repayments today. But another thing I want to point out here is what every
11:10 one of these scriptures says. It talks about a heart condition in the giving. You see this the heart condition of the
11:16 giving. Every one of these texts says this. How are you supposed to give where whoever is generous to the poor?
11:24 Whoever gives expecting nothing in return. Whoever gets less, they also invite in
11:30 return to be repaid. So you don't just invite people so that you can get repaid. So you're not supposed to give
11:36 to hoard up some future purchase money in heaven. That's not the reason why we are giving.
11:42 The reason why we're giving is to be sacrificial, is to be loving, not to expect nothing. It's an emptying of
11:48 self. It's not an expecting of of something in return. It's a a giving
11:55 freely for we have received freely to honor him who though he was rich became
12:03 poor so that through his poverty we may become rich. It's a gospel principle.
12:10 It's a sacrificial principle that we give freely, we give sacrificially. We
12:17 give boldly. We give with risk. We give in faith.
12:22 We give in love. We give in grace. We give with mercy.
12:29 That's how we give. And it's that kind of giving that will be repaid at a future time. So
12:36 it's not with an expectancy of being repaid today. It's an it's your giving just for the sake of others. I think
12:41 it's best summarized here uh in Hebrews 6. For God is not unjust as to overlook
12:49 your work and love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints as
12:55 you still do. He's not unjust to overlook if you're giving with love for
13:01 the work that you're doing for the saints. It it there's a heart requirement. There's there's love
13:07 requirement in that giving. Now the question is how can we be so so sure
13:14 that that that God will do that? Well, ultimately Jesus says this of himself.
13:19 He says whatever we do to the disciples in the sake for his name is as if we're
13:24 doing it to him himself. Right? In in in Matthew he says this.
13:30 Then the king which is Jesus will say to those on on the right come you who are
13:35 blessed by my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the word. So you who are blessed, come
13:41 inherit the kingdom. Receive what is yours. Um for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me
13:48 drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in
13:54 prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry feed you or
13:60 thirsty or give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you? And when did we
14:05 see you sick in prison and visit you?" And the king will answer them, truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the
14:13 least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.
14:19 So whatever we do in charity and giving in the right heart to to people as if
14:25 we're doing it to Jesus. And he says if we're doing it to Jesus, he will guarantee something for us that we will
14:31 inherit the kingdom. Now the imagery continues and um the first part part
14:39 says this. Be bold, be risky, cast the bread upon the water. You have no idea
14:44 whether you get a return but but but give regardless because you care about giving for people but also be wise.
14:52 But here before I go to the wise, let me define the word portion. It says give a portion to seven or eight or even to
14:58 eight for you not know what disaster may happen on the earth. And what is a portion? Well, back uh in Old Testament
15:05 language, a a a portion was something that you give to as charity to people
15:11 who were in need. So when you had a feast, what happened is you used to give portions to the people outside the feast
15:18 to the families and everybody else. Let me just read a scripture here in Nehemiah 8:10 to show you what the the
15:23 word portion means. And then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to
15:29 anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your
15:36 strength." And even in Esther, u when when they o when they overthrew Haman, they finally conquered Hammon and and
15:42 they were having a a party, um they were feasting and then they sent portions to
15:48 the family. So portion was always a a charity and that's why we can say this context of this whole passage is in
15:55 times of charity and giving to the needy and giving to the poor from the blessings and from whatever we have
16:02 received whatever we are stewards over from God.
16:08 So it's it's sending out these kind of portions. So give a portion to seven or eight. And again more biblical language
16:13 here when he says seven or eight we know that seven is a number of completeness of fullness. Testament when it says give
16:20 give portions to seven of give fully. Give completely give give all your seven
16:25 portions. Give give fully to everybody. No, no, no, no. Give more than that. Give eight.
16:32 So it's it's it's not just giving to charity to some people. No, no. Whatever you have, give give fully
16:40 and give more. Let let it hurt. I mean it's supposed to be sacrificial giving. You're you're giving completely.
16:47 you giving fully. So that's the imagery we're getting here. It says give in a
16:54 risky way and give fully. But there's additional imagery we see here because
17:00 we're saying eight or seven portions also means this. Don't put everything in
17:07 one investment. Um another way of saying it today would
17:12 be don't put all your eggs in one basket. Um um diversify your portfolio.
17:20 All right. When it comes to the kingdom business, don't just put all your eggs in one basket. Don't just invest in one
17:28 area of the kingdom. No. Diversify your portfolio. Give wherever you can. Give
17:34 fully. No, give more than that. Don't just put your efforts just in one area. No. Put it into many areas of your life.
17:44 diversify your portfolio. You know, how does what does that mean for us today? How do we diversify our portfolio when
17:51 it comes to the kingdom business? Now, I I believe this text has very much
17:56 to do with finance and stewardship and money, but I think it has actually to do with a complete life attitude as well.
18:05 So, it talks about your treasures, it talks about your talents, and it talks
18:11 about your time. Maybe you're a person here who comes on Sundays and and you regularly give
18:17 graciously to the church financially. Don't just invest in one area. Diversify
18:22 your portfolio. Maybe what you should do, maybe you're gifted, maybe you are a good leader,
18:28 maybe you should come to a Bible study, equip yourself so you can lead other people's in Bible studies. Because what
18:34 could happen is tomorrow there could be a e economic breakdown and you might not be able to give financially to how
18:40 you're giving now. But if you have diversified your portfolio, you can still continue to grow the kingdom by
18:46 you teaching other people from what you have learned in the Bible studies.
18:52 Maybe you are here and you're part of the worship ministry. Maybe that's the only thing to do. Maybe then you break your hand, you cannot play the guitar
18:59 anymore and diversify your portfolio. Join up for VBS for 5 days.
19:09 There there's different things we can do. There's different ways we invest. Are you just investing in ministry in church or are you investing in your
19:16 workplace? I mean go to are are you sharing the gospel in your workplace with people? I
19:22 mean diversify your portfolio. Are you teaching your family at home the Bible?
19:29 Are you making an impact for the gospel in your neighborhood? I mean, so many of us just think come to
19:35 church on Sunday and we serve in a ministry and we think, okay, we're doing our kingdom work. What this is saying is
19:40 we should not put our eggs in one basket. We should actually put our investments all over the place because
19:46 that's wisdom. In business, that's wisdom. What it's saying here as Christians and
19:51 it comes to the kingdom business, we should be venture capitalists. Whenever we have resource, we should
19:57 invest it so so it may grow strongly. Now the reason it says here is because
20:03 you do not know what disaster will happen. It's strange, right?
20:09 Because you do not know what disaster will happen is usually the excuse that we give for not giving.
20:18 I must hoard up my riches. I must not give so much. I must be
20:23 cautious because I do not know what disaster will happen. I mean I might grow sick
20:29 tomorrow. I might lose my job tomorrow.
20:34 I might not be able to work. I I I don't know what's going to happen. I I better
20:40 have this safety net for myself. But somehow this this scripture is
20:45 saying no, that very fact should cause the opposite because it's saying while you have the
20:52 opportunity, while you're blessed to have, give freely, give fully. No, give more. forgive in different areas of your
20:58 life because one day may come a time where you not be able to do so anymore.
21:05 But no, we we we we give those excuses and you know what what's what what's what what's to usually justify
21:13 our greed to justify the fact that we care more about
21:19 ourselves than we care about the kingdom. You know, scripture all over the place,
21:27 and I've mentioned some passages, and there's so many more passages, talks about how our stewardship or how
21:35 we handle money reveals the condition of our unregenerated hearts.
21:43 You know, it talks more about that in scripture than it talks that how lust
21:48 and sexual immorality reveals unregenerate hearts.
21:54 It talks more about greed and how we handle our money. How that's a sign of how the condition of our hearts and we
22:02 are so quick to point out the adulterer and point out the homosexual. But we are so cautious to talk about
22:08 greed. We are afraid to do so. I I was a little bit afraid to do so when I came on the
22:14 pull pit today. I know my spendings. I I know where I spend my money on. I I'm not the perfect
22:20 representation of this text. I need to repent. I need to change my
22:26 life after reading this over and over and over in scripture. I didn't put all the scripture. But there's so much
22:32 scripture. You remember the the parable of the the rich young ruler, right, who came to God. He did everything right.
22:38 And God, how do how do I have eternal life? How? He says, come and sell everything. Follow me. And he couldn't do it.
22:45 He couldn't give up his riches. And that was a sign that he was not truly
22:50 interested in following Jesus. The Bible says that when we understand
22:56 the gospel, we are willing to treat it like a treasure that we find it. We sell everything we have just to to buy that
23:02 land on which that treasure is. We're willing to sell everything that we have. There seems to be some kind of
23:08 connection in our hearts with our finances. Where our treasures lie, there our hearts will also be. Scripture says
23:16 that it's easier oh for a camel to go through an eye of a kneel than a rich man to go to heaven. I mean I mean
23:24 scripture over and over and over emphasizes it. But we say no no no we
23:30 are too afraid. What happens if if a disaster happens? Let's let's take that extreme.
23:38 Let's let let's just go to that logical extreme. Imagine you have invested yourself fully. you have given or let's
23:45 say you've sold your house and given all the proceeds to Maria's home,
23:50 right? Let's say you've you've taken a a job that earns you less money so you can
23:56 spend more time with your family, invest yourself there and and be more part of church. Imagine
24:02 you you've given your finances and you've given and you've given you you've you've taken whatever extra money you
24:08 have and you have plant three churches in the city and then disaster strikes that whatever
24:14 job you have you lose it. Let's go an extreme that whatever God promises that
24:19 he would provide for your daily provisions does not happen. You're one of those people in Hebrews who did not
24:24 receive what was promised. Imagine
24:29 the church here does not care for you and does not help you get food. Let's go to the logical extreme.
24:36 Let's you starve to death.
24:42 And when you stand before God, what do you think is going to happen? He's going to say, "You fool.
24:50 I never knew you. Get away from me." Or is he going to say, "Well done,
24:58 good and faithful servant."
25:03 Which one will it be? I'm certain it will be, "Go well done, good and faithful servant." God is not
25:09 going to say, "Oops, I forgot to feed you. Oh, sorry, I forgot to repay you."
25:18 No, there's a promise that we have here that we will be repaid on the resurrection of the just. God will care
25:25 for us. He will say he will gather those people on one side and say here come inherit the kingdom.
25:33 So what we are truly afraid of is not the eternal.
25:38 What we're truly afraid of is the temporary the struggles that we might have today.
25:43 We're truly afraid of not having luxury and comfort for ourselves today. And you
25:49 might say, "It's not just about me, master. It's about my children." Uh um how about my children? I mean, I
25:54 got to care for my children. If it's just me, I could do it, but I I need to pay education for my children. I mean, they have to go to school. Just now you
26:00 said it's foolish for them to just play video games, right? They need money for education. I'm saying yes, they are the
26:06 needy. They need your charity. I I'm not joking. I I think children
26:12 can't take care of themselves. A portion should go to them. One of the seven or eight portion where you invest in
26:18 yourself. Your children should be one of those seven or eight portions clearly.
26:23 But if you don't live in that kind of lifestyle, why are you worried what they will learn? What are you teaching them?
26:31 What are you teaching them in light of eternity? What are you teaching them to honor and
26:36 obey the word of God? Are you teaching them that it's yes, we should do everything in life, but when
26:41 it comes to finances and money and giving? No, no, no. We don't follow scripture. We follow business ethics.
26:47 Because there's two consequences that will happen by doing this. The first consequence is, I mean, possible
26:53 consequences. One thing is they don't take you serious anymore when you talk about God because they read one thing and you're doing another thing. So, they
26:59 might not take you serious anymore. Or a second thing is they won't take God serious anymore
27:04 because your lifestyle doesn't represent the scriptures. And so many of us wonder why the 18, 19, 20, and 22 year olds are
27:12 no longer in church because they finally start reading and understanding the scripture for what it
27:18 truly is and doesn't see represented in the households and the families. So somebody must be a hypocrite either
27:23 our parents or God.
27:29 It's a strong picture. And if you look if you look at the parable of the talent, I think it it really describes it. and a a master gave out and he gave
27:38 uh five talents to one person. He gave three talents to another person. He gave one tal two talents to another person, one talent to the third person. And he
27:45 went away for a while. And when he came back, uh one one servant says, "Hey, master, I
27:51 I I've taken your five talents. I invested it and and here's five more." And he says, "Good done. Well done,
27:58 faithful servant. I've given you little and you've done much with it, you And uh and then the next person came I had two
28:03 talents and here I invested it and I have two more. He says well done. And then comes the last guy. He says well I
28:09 know you are a hard man. You you reap
28:14 where you did not sow. So I was afraid. So what I did I I I hid
28:20 the talent. I dug a hole and I put it there. Here is I give you back what you have given me. Here's back what you
28:26 have. You know what Jesus said in reply to that? You wicked person.
28:32 You wi he didn't say bad investment or or or or or you lazy. No, you wicked person. You you evil person. If you
28:40 really thought that I was the kind of guy who would reap where I so what you should have done, you should have taken that talent. You should have at least
28:47 put it into a bank so you can reap some interest.
28:52 The the parable tells us whatever God has given us, our treasures,
28:58 our talents, our time, we should invest it for the
29:05 kingdom. Most of us are too afraid and and
29:11 ultimately we think that God is wicked, right? Because if we make a mistake, he will
29:18 pay he will punish us for it. if we don't have great returns on that
29:23 investment, he will he will throw us away. That's our fear. Or he will not honor
29:29 his word. And this that's exactly what the parable of the talents is talking about. You know what happened? That guy
29:36 who did not invest into the kingdom, Jesus says, "Go
29:42 to where the nashing of teeth is. Go to eternal death. Go to hell."
29:50 because it revealed the condition of that person's heart that he thought God was wicked
29:57 and he was not willing to invest into the kingdom.
30:03 So what is this first two verses telling? It's telling us no with whatevers God has given us, whatever
30:09 resources he's given us, let's let's be bold with it. Let's cast the bread upon the water. Let's give seven or eight
30:15 portions. No, let's give let's give fully. No, let's give more than what we have. Let's give sacrificially. Let's
30:20 let's give it to different areas in our life. Let's just not depend on on kingdom work in in one area in life. No,
30:26 we we're going to fully invest our lives in different areas. This is the kind of attitude
30:32 that will surely receive back in time. The um the imagery continues and it says
30:40 here in the next two verses um if the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And if a tree
30:47 falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there will lie. He who observes the wind will
30:53 not sow. And he who regards the clouds will not reap. At at first glance at
30:59 looking at this imagery, uh it it shows here that there's things that we can understand.
31:05 There's some some logical things that we can observe in nature um that gives us ideas. Um like the clouds are full of
31:12 rain and they empty themselves. It's something that we know and the trees fall to the south. Wherever the tree
31:17 lies uh falls, there it will lie. But and based on these observances, we can
31:23 make wise decisions. But it also warns us cautious as don't be overly cautious
31:28 for he who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap. We could be the type of person
31:35 says, "I'm waiting for this perfect condition before I make my move." And I
31:40 think the NLT translated perfectly. It says, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything
31:47 done." That's that that that's the message right here. I think it's from from simple reading. We get that because many
31:53 of us are perfectionists, right? We we want to have the right time and and back then the imagery which is
31:59 used here is farming industry, farming imagery. So it was very important to sew at the right time. I if you sew your
32:05 your seed and it doesn't rain, you will not have crops grow. If you if you reap
32:10 harvest and it's full and it rains fully, then the harvest might go fall.
32:16 It might it might it might rot. So seasons and understanding the season
32:21 was very important. But the farmer who sits down and looks at the wind and keeps on calculating and keeps on
32:27 waiting waiting for the perfect condition will never sew. He will never get anything done. He will
32:34 never have there will never be that perfect condition. So what is saying here is is that we
32:41 should act. We should do it now. There's going to be a time where it's too late.
32:47 So that that that that's what the imagery is telling us here rather clearly. Even though we know things,
32:54 don't overanalyze things. No, no. Act now. Now if you look a bit more carefully
33:01 into uh the imagery here it says if the clouds are full of rain they empty
33:06 themselves on earth. I think there's a deeper meaning here as well which falls into the kingdom gospel principle that
33:12 we have been talking about earlier as well. Um and seeing how that gospel principle is even embedded in nature.
33:20 You see back then rain clouds were blessings. It was it was it was very important for
33:26 you to have rain because otherwise you cannot have your crop and your your farming industry will not work out. So whenever rain come the the water that is
33:32 held by the cloud was blessing and it says and it's natural in nature that whatever is full of blessing will empty
33:39 itself. It's a natural emptying of self. That
33:44 principle applies even in nature.
33:51 You see it's the gospel principle. is the Jesus principle. Jesus who had who
33:57 was God did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But no, he emptied himself onto human form. No, he
34:05 was obedient like a servant even onto death on a cross.
34:12 That is the gospel principle to empty yourself. It's embedded in nature. It's
34:18 what Jesus did. And then the imagery continues. And if the tree falls to the
34:23 south or the north um in the place the tree falls there it will lie. And and
34:30 this is making reference to the fact that wherever the moral condition of a
34:35 man is where he dies that's the moral condition that he's going to stick with.
34:43 However you are when you fall is what's going to stick with you. There's going
34:49 to be a time which is going to be too late for you to change. By the time you die, wherever, however
34:55 your heart is, whether it's regenerated or not, un regenerated, whether you have changed your life, you have repented or
35:00 not repented, when you die, it's over. Where the tree falls, there it lies. And
35:06 we see that exactly in the last chapter of Revelation. Uh it says this in
35:12 Revelation 22:11. And it kind of gives us the understanding that the evildoers still do evil and the filthy still be
35:18 filthy and the righteous still do the right and the holy still be holy. Whatever your moral condition of your heart is at a time of death is the moral
35:24 condition that will stick with you. So it's giving you that kind of urgency in
35:30 saying hey empty yourself. Act now there's going to be a time where
35:37 it's too late to change. You know, you might wait for the perfect conditions before you do so, but there's never
35:44 going to be that perfect condition. Do it now.
35:49 Act now. Don't overanalyze. I mean, so many of us saying, "Yes, I will I will start giving. I will be a charitable
35:55 person once I get that new job promotion. I I will do it once once my wedding is
36:01 over. No, once once I have a child, I can do it. No, when my child is graduated, then
36:07 I can do it." Right? I mean, we are waiting for that perfect condition before we can become
36:13 the person that the scripture is asking us to become. There is no perfect condition. Act now. There's going to be
36:19 a time where it's going to be too late to change. I think many of us, I mean, this
36:26 scripture reveals the condition of our hearts. So, so even many of us here, we have been maybe revealed ourselves.
36:32 Maybe we have not been following Christ. Maybe we have been pretending to ourselves
36:38 because clearly the frequency the scripture talks about money and finance is something showing something to me
36:44 right now. Well, there's opportunity right now for you. There's opportunity to repent and
36:52 change. Now, don't overanalyze.
36:59 Don't wait for the right conditions. There many some of you who have who have never accepted Jesus in your life. Maybe
37:06 you're here and hearing this message for the first time. You're thinking, "Oh, maybe I have to I have to wait for a better time." No, no. I I what he's
37:12 talking about, it seems that Christianity is difficult. Maybe I have to prepare myself better. Maybe I have to get cleaner in my life. Maybe I have
37:18 to I have to do something first before I can do this, before I can get baptized. Let me let me wait for that perfect condition.
37:24 There is not going to be a perfect condition. The time is now. Salvation is now. Don't procrastinate your decision
37:31 because there might come a time when you fall and there you will lie.
37:37 No, it's it's it's giving us urgency. It's asking us to act now. It's asking to change our lives now. It's asking
37:44 become charitable now. Become graceful now. To give seven or eight portions
37:50 now, not later. As you have the opportunities given to
37:55 you in your life, use them. You do not know what disaster may come.
38:03 The perfect condition definitely won't come. Act now. Don't overanalyze.
38:14 The last part of the scripture today says, "As you do not know the way, the
38:20 spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child. So you do not know
38:25 the work of God who makes everything. In the morning so your seed, and in the
38:30 evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or
38:36 that, or whether both alike will be good." Um it seems that the author the
38:41 teacher here um is making an imagery of birth. He's saying here as you do not
38:47 know way the spirit comes to the bones. And when he talk about spirit here he's talking about the human spirit not the holy spirit right. Um he's talking about
38:54 we do not know when the spirit enters that that child that that fetus that
39:01 that bones. Now with medical science today we have a lot more understanding. And here's a picture. Um I don't quite
39:07 understand everything here but um it's not my expertise. Um but um ultimately
39:12 there are stages of development and what he's saying is we have no idea in what stage of this development the spirit
39:19 eternal spirit eternal soul attaches to this this
39:25 fetus. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. This fetus we have no idea.
39:33 So so we do not know. when he's he's drawing to creation. He's drawing to something that we are
39:39 fearfully and wonderfully made. But still we do not know things. We understand a lot of things here where
39:45 he's saying but one thing we do know we know that God makes everything.
39:50 we that that we do know. And he's saying he's he's he's giving reference to the fact that we do not
39:56 know and he says because we do not know what should we do? Do nothing
40:02 because we do not know. No, he's saying something very different. He's saying because we do not know become
40:08 industrious. He's saying in the morning sew your seed
40:14 and in evening withhold not your hand for you do not know which will prosper this or that or whether both alike will
40:21 be good because you do not know what will happen. So your seed in the morning so your seed in the evening seize every
40:28 opportunity to sew. That's what he's saying. So in the mornings as we have a
40:34 diversified portfolio of kingdom investment in the morning we sit down we read our scriptures maybe we have a
40:40 gospel conversation with our partners we go to work and a work we share the gospel with somebody from our work we
40:48 have a lunchtime we make a new friend we we sew the gospel there as well maybe we are Christian employer and we're using
40:55 our workspace to have lunchtime Christian gatherings and we are sewing in the afternoon and then we go home. On
41:02 the way out, we talk to our Nepali guard. We give them some food or we we give them an encouraging message. We are
41:08 sewing again. We we're going home and we have a Bible study with our family. We are sewing again because we've got
41:15 absolutely no clue which one of our sewing is going to take fruit. So, we invest ourselves throughout the
41:22 whole day through our diversified portfolio
41:28 for the kingdom. That's what he's saying. sees every opportunity
41:34 to sew, sees every opportunity. You have no idea whether in the future you will
41:40 still have opportunities or not. You have no idea which one will take fruition. I think Spurgeon says, "If I
41:47 could, I would only preach to the elect. But since I have no idea who they are, I shall preach to all."
41:57 Let's preach to all. that sew our seeds wildly. And if you guys know the parable of the uh sewer
42:04 and the seed, it's a parable where many of us come back asking what kind of soil am I? And and and and it's asking that
42:11 that question and and for those people who do not know the parable, let me explain. There was a sewer and he swed
42:16 seed and some seed fell on the pathway and was picked up by by birds and some
42:22 um seed fell on rocky ground and and as the the tree was or as the plant was growing uh it didn't take root and when
42:29 the hot sun came it fell away and it died and and some was was sewn among thorns and when it grew up it was choked
42:36 out by the thorns and and some fell on good soil and it grew plentiful. And
42:41 then the disciples who heard that parable asking Jesus what does it mean? We don't understand ultimately means
42:46 this that the seed the the the sewing the seed is is the word of God and the sewer was was sharing the word of God
42:52 and and some of it was was taken away by the evil one. So people who heard it did not really take was taken out of their
42:58 heart. So this kind of like the bird and and the one with the rocky grounds is the soil in which um it didn't take
43:04 root. The word didn't take root in their heart. So what happens when when uh a suffering came when when hardship came
43:10 to their life um the word went away they could not deal with it and it showed that they had not real gospel roots in
43:16 their hearts and the the third saw is the one which one the deceitfulness of riches
43:24 and the worldliness choked away. It revealed that they could not the
43:31 gospel did not soak into their heart because the riches deceived them. And then there's the the fourth one
43:38 which was the good soil which had great harvest different kinds of harvest 100fold 60fold 30fold uh different kind
43:45 of harvest but it had harvest. Now the question is not what kind of soil are you? My question is what kind
43:51 of sewer are you? Because we can see that wherever we the
43:56 swer who sowed, he had no idea what's going to take place. But he swed with
44:01 liberality. He he swed generously. He swed everywhere. And we today do not know what's going to
44:08 happen. We when I share the gospel with people, I have no idea what's going to happen to their heart. I have no idea
44:13 how the the the Holy Spirit now comes into their body. I have no idea where it's going to work and how it's going to
44:18 work. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to sew and use every opportunity to sew because I have no idea what kind of soil
44:25 a person is. So I got to seize and take every opportunity.
44:30 I think that's the lesson that we need to learn from the swer. He's somebody who sews everywhere,
44:38 every kind of soil. But we don't do that.
44:44 We are too afraid. And the passage here and I like to close
44:51 with this has kind of three objections, right, of why we do not or the
44:57 objections that people give. They say that I do not know what disaster may happen.
45:02 I I don't think it's the right time. I have no idea what's going to happen. I'm I'm afraid of failure.
45:09 I I don't know what what what's going to take fruit and what's not. I'm not willing to fail.
45:17 All these excuses are a sign that we are afraid.
45:22 Afraid for what? Not afraid that God will not honor us. No. Afraid that we
45:28 will have hardship. Afraid of our own comforts.
45:36 Afraid that we might have suffering tomorrow if we do so.
45:42 It's fear. It's fear that's keeping us away from living in the light of the gospel.
45:49 You know what the number one command is in scripture? The most frequent, not the
45:54 most important, but the one that's that's set most frequently throughout scripture. Do not fear.
46:02 Do not fear. We know the See here, they did not know
46:08 the endgame. We know the endgame. Jesus has overcome. There is victory.
46:15 As you diversify your portfolio, you be sure to have all the reward. No, no, you
46:20 be sure to have riches beyond that. If you know that you can do that kind of
46:26 investment even though there might be hardships along the way, but the final end you will reap everything,
46:34 you will do it. Do not fear. Jesus says, "Do not be anxious
46:40 for tomorrow, for today has its own trouble. Sufficient for today is its own trouble.
46:46 Sufficient for yes, there's going to be trouble today. Let's let's deal with today's trouble. Let's not think about tomorrow."
46:52 But there's this beautiful scripture that comes alongside with this. It says, "His mercies are new every morning."
46:60 Do not be afraid. Do not do not fear. He will repay you at the resurrection of
47:06 the just. And because we know the victory in Jesus, we are able
47:12 to give boldly, to take risk in our giving. The scripture tells us not to be
47:18 cautious, but to be courageous in our giving. We don't wait for the right timing. No, we have time to change now.
47:25 And we can seize every opportunity to sew. Let's seize every opportunity
47:32 that we have. Let us pray.
47:40 Father Lord, we come before you and we know we have fallen short in this
47:46 aspect in all our lives. We fear for what disasters may strike
47:52 tomorrow. We fear that it's not the right time. We we fear failure. Father, we ask for your
47:59 spirit to minister to us to find us. Let us find rest in Jesus,
48:07 the comfort that he provides. Let us trust in in the guaranteed future
48:15 that he has given us through his life, death and resurrection. Father, many of
48:20 us, we are feeling it in our hearts and we know that we have not been following
48:25 Jesus. Father, help us. Help us empty ourselves
48:31 right now of pride, of fear, of whatever is holding us back
48:37 to come to you. We know that you will welcome us with open arms today.
48:44 Let us seize this opportunity to repent,
48:50 to come to you, to accept the gospel in our hearts.
48:57 to receive new hearts, new lives, and then live in accordance to them.
49:05 Father, we ask for your help and your mercy. We know that you are creator of everything.
49:12 You are sovereign above everything. So we can trust that you will hold your
49:20 word for Christ. I pray. Amen.
