10/19/11 - The Harvest Breakdown - Work - Mike Barker

Mike Barker teaches on "The Harvest Breakdown - Work" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

The Harvest Breakdown

Mike Barker

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

Sermon Notes:

The Harvest Breakdown

WORK

Genesis 8:22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting (seedtime) and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

2 Corinthians 9:10 “For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

Note it is also about effort—work.

Harvest requires 4 elements: 

1. Seed

2. Ground 

3. Work

4. Trusting God  

If there is a breakdown in your harvest, it can be traced to at least one of those elements.

  

We are going to be talking about the 3rd element, work. One thing that we should know about work is that it is Hard. And hard work has a tendency to drive people. Sometimes in opposite directions, this can cause a break down in the element of work.

Two of the biggest breakdowns are laziness and the opposite, thinking “If I just work harder, I can make it happen.”  

There are three different types of workers. They all fit in three categories.

1.   The Lazy Worker-

Is not self motivated, or motivated at all. They have to be told what to do on a continuous basis, and they want to get away with doing the least amount of work as possible. The lazy worker is not concerned about their productivity or the overall production as a whole. They tend to be self absorbed.

“They lack vision and understanding about the purpose of the harvest” 

2.   The Large-Scale Worker-

Is self motivated and does not necessarily care about the quality of work, only the amount of production. These people tend to follow their own direction. They work at an increased pace, trying to produce more than any of the other workers, sometimes like it is a competition. The machinery that they use is pushed to the limits and often breaks because of the abuse. Their drive to push the envelope can cause collateral damage, which leaves the farmer picking up the pieces and paying the bill.

“They are giving to get”

The key to the work expected by the Lord, as our component in the Harvest, is willing obedience—Isaiah 1:19.

Isaiah 1:19 (NLT)
19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 

If we want to eat, and if we want a harvest, it requires work.

There are three elements of work that we need to look at. And if we apply these we will see good results. 

1. Work smart:  

Jeremiah 4:3 (NLT)
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. 

Quit investing good seed and hard work in ground that does not produce.

2. Work hard:

Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. 

This is where most people fail because hard work is hard work.  

Ecclesiastes 5:3 (NKJV)
3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words. 

Romans 12:11 (NLT)
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 

Note that hard work is connected to serving the Lord with enthusiasm.

3. Work consistently:

Proverbs 13:11 (NLT)
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. 

The Law of Guaranteed Harvest is based on consistent, persistent, enduring hard work. 

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 

The third type and best worker is:

3.   The Loyal Worker-

This worker is willing and obedient, who knows what is expected of them and does it without question or complaining. They know the Big Picture. They are not in it for themselves, they put others first. They are low maintenance high capacity workers. They are going stay until the job is done and done correctly. It is an honor to be part of the harvest. They are invested in the Harvest. They are “ALL IN”.

“They understand their role in the Harvest and the Harvest is satisfaction enough”

Because of their selfless dedication, they are blessed when the Harvest comes.

When we work smart, hard, and consistently; there are a couple of key things we need to remember. And we need to do it with the right attitude.

Excellence and enthusiasm: 

Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)
7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Great lesson here is: 

Daniel 6:3 (NLT)
3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 

Attention to Detail: 

2 Corinthians 6:1 (MSG)
1 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. 

Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing.

Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. 

People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times;

As we prepare for a harvest whether it’s in our finances, family, or the Kingdom what we need to remember is this:

The breakdowns in the harvest occur when we make poor choices.

We need to ask ourselves these two questions.

1. Are the things I am doing or working on lining up with the word of God?

2. Are they extending the Kingdom of God?

As a willing and obedient servant, we should all answers these questions with a joyous YES!

Let’s get prepared for the Harvest.

1. Good seed

2. Good Ground (soil)

3. Work (smart, hard, continuous)

4. Trust God