Scripture reference: 1 Peter 1:23(JBV); Ephesians 3:10(NKJV); James 1:21-22(AMPC); Colossians 3:16(ESV); Revelation 3:3(AMPC); John 15:7(TPT); 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (AMPC); Colossians 3:16(TPT); Acts 13:49(AMPC); Col 1:6(AMPC); Deuteronomy 30:10-14(NLT); Joshua 1:8(NKJV); 2 Timothy 2:8(MSG); 2 Timothy 2:9(NLT); 2 Thessalonians 3:1(NKJV); Psalm 147:18(AMPC); Romans 10:6(NKJV); Romans 10:6-8 (NLT); Mark 4:26-28(NLT and GNT (Today’s English Version); Proverbs 18:20-21(AMPC); Joshua 1:8(AMPC); Isaiah 59:21(AMPC); Isaiah 28:23-29(TLB); Isaiah 28:23-26(NLT); Mark 4:26-28(ESV); Matthew 22:36-40(AMPC); 1 Thessalonians 4:9(NLT); Ephesians 4:2(NLT); 1 Corinthians 13:3-7(MSG); 1 Corinthians 13, Proverbs 31, 1 Peter 3; Proverbs 24:30(AMPC); Psalm 126:5(NLT); Psalms 126:5-6(NLT); Song of Solomon 4:16(AMPC); Song of Solomon 4:16(TPT)
Good evening, everybody. Welcome to Sunday afternoon, early evening church. So, we’re doing Sower Sows the Word. And, I’m telling you, it’s really… this teaching is more to me than it’s ever been before, just personally. It’s more to me than it’s ever been before. So, we’ve been looking at the ploughing. And, is Sunelle here? Sunelle? Okay. [Ps Christi replying, “There are a few with symptoms”]. A few with symptoms? Alright. And I’m just looking for the Delport girls. Alright. Here they are. Okay.
Here’s Sunelle. Here’s one of the Delport girls. Sunelle, before, I don’t want to actually give a just a short summary of the ploughing. I thought I would ask you just to come and share with the people what your experience has been with the ploughing and how you received that. Just share. Just share briefly with the people, the ploughing. Come stand here by me, please. How do you understand the ploughing? How did, how did it get taught to you?
Sunelle: Well, Pastor Sharon, from, everything that you brought to us, the scriptures and everything, what I understood from the ploughing was that it’s a spiritual preparation process before the sowing that needs to happen. And for me, it’s the … and because it’s the softening of your heart. There’s an experience between you and the Lord where you’re giving Him thanks you’re putting your focus on Him. You’re coming prepared to say, “The words that I’m going to sow will be because of my love for You, because of my relationship with You, and because, Your Word is You.” It will be the Word Himself that I’m planting in my heart.
So, if my understanding of who He is to me needs some help, if I need some help in that area, then ploughing up my heart is what prepares me to receive the Word in the first place. So, I would say that the way I received it was, and I loved your example of the cutting into the soil because that hard ground is just places where I haven’t trusted God before.
So, now those, those… blades. Thank you. The blades that is cutting into the soil is cutting up the pieces where I haven’t really trusted God before. And once that ground is lifted up now when I plant the Word for which I do want to trust God in my life, then it’s already done that preparation work.
Ps Sharon: Yes. So, are, you fully persuaded that Judah shall plough?
Sunelle: Yes, Pastor Sharon. Absolutely.
Pastor Sharon: And how did you get fully persuaded of that?
Sunelle: Pastor Sharon, I have to be honest, the planting of the Word isn’t the first time I’ve heard it from you, I also read Brother Capps’ book.
Pastor Sharon: Yes.
Sunelle: But he’s never taught on, on Judah shall plough or that the praise and worship is the ploughing process. So. when you brought it, it was new to me. It was definitely new. And the way I received it was that it, it was that love relationship. It was that knowing, okay, why am I doing this? How am I doing this? What am I doing? What am I doing it for?
And the way I received it was when I started with it, when I started with ploughing with praise For me, it was a spiritual invigoration. It was just, this is why I’m doing it. This is what I’m doing it for. It’s the, it’s the beginning and the end of the sowing.
Pastor Sharon: Yes. And everything in between.
Sunelle: And everything in between.
Pastor Sharon: Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
I just thought you would like to hear it from… from someone else, you know, that is active. She got very active very quickly in ploughing. And so, we’ve been looking at the praise that will plough up our hard hearts. And then last week, we started on the planting. And, we looked at when do I plant?
You know, it’s just one of those amazing scriptures for me that says, “Keep sowing your seed for you never know which will grow. Perhaps it all will.” That’s my whole outlook to sowing the Word. It’s my whole outlook. I never see, I never, see seed sowing as anything but being highly spiritually productive. That’s what I can say. And we looked at, we don’t wait for conditions to be favourable. We looked at the, at the word, the sower sows the Word, Jesus said. And we looked at the word Logos, the sower sows the Logos. The sower sows what God says into his or her heart. Glory to God. The sower sows what God says. God’s thoughts, God’s reasonings, God’s statements, His utterances into the heart. And the Word is the seed. The Word is truth.
Jesus says that in John 17, when He talks to His Father, to the Father, our Father, “Your Word is truth.” So, we looked at the scripture that says, we’ve been born again. We’ve been made brand new creatures through the immortal ever-living, not from mortal sperm or seed, but from One that is immortal by the ever-living, lasting Word of God. The live, permanent Word of the living God has given me His own indestructible heredity, (1 Peter 1:23 JBV) Philips. Hallelujah. And that’s why the seed that we sow, we can… that’s a very big point that I have to make tonight to you. The seed that I sow comes from the Logos, it comes from His precious Holy written Word and then it comes from the messages that Jesus brings to me every Sunday. Or He will bring me something during the week.
Because I do believe Ephesians, the book of Ephesians that says that God Jesus, when He rose, He left gifts with men. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers, Shepherd, Teachers. And, we, the 5-fold ministry, Jesus left gifts so that He could bring the rest of the body, the sons of God, into full maturity. And I will always say this as long as I live because I know Jesus will never change it. The highest calling is not an Apostle or a Prophet or a Teacher or a Pastor or an Evangelist. The highest calling, please can you tell me what the highest calling is? [Congregation, “Son of God.”] Son of God. Son of God is the highest calling. I am first and foremost a son of God. Pastor John is first and foremost a son of God. The whole of creation is groaning for manifestations of the sons of God. And sons of God manifest because Jesus when He when He descended and he ascended, He left gifts so that we could come to maturity. And we could do the work of ministering towards Christ’s body. Hallelujah.
In the church, in the ekklesia, Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell… there where I can build, the gates of hell will not prevail. There where I can build, My people will be so victorious, so glorious, so victorious.” That’s what God is after. He’s after the overcomer, and that’s what the fivefold ministry is there to cause the body of Christ to overcome. Jesus said at the end of every letter He wrote to the church in Revelation, “You who overcomes, to him who overcomes, to him who overcomes, to him who conquers, to him who defeats, to him who destroys.” It’s those that continually, repeatedly, continuously, repeatedly, continually overcome the enemy in their own life, in your own flesh, in your own mind, you overcome him. And then together, as a people, we overcome because Apostle Paul said in the book of Ephesians that it’s through the church that God is making known to the principalities and powers, the manifold wisdom of God. (Ephesians 3:10 NKJV). Hallelujah.
So, we’re looking at the Word of God wow wow wow wow. We’ve got to get the Word of God into our hearts. We’re to plant His Word in our hearts. We looked at the scripture that says 21 …welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it… (James 1:21-22 AMPC).
Well, when you plant, properly plant the Word into your heart and you keep it there, and you keep it there, and you keep it there, and you don’t let anything steal it out of your heart, you will become a doer of the Word. Because the power of God’s Word at work in you will actively energise you to correspond action to the whatever you are sowing into your heart. So, oh, let me just see here.
Alright. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… (Colossians 3:16 ESV). Revelation 3:3 says 3 …continually lay them to heart and obey them (Revelation 3:3 AMPC). Call to mind. Lay to heart. Lay the words to your heart. You’ve got to lay them in your heart. Teach, you’ve got to teach your mouth what to say. Let me just see here. John 15 verse 7, TPT. Can we look at that? John 15 verse 7 says, “Live in life union with me. Let my words live powerfully in you.” Look at this. “Live in life union with Me” (John 15:7 TPT).
Not if you’re going to, you must. You ought to be living in life union with Him. Live in life union with Him. What does that mean? That means I come to Him to speak to Him. I come to Him to speak His Word. I come to Him to pray. I come to Him to say, “Live in life union with Me, and let My words live powerfully within you.” Glory. Can you see that you can let His words live powerfully within you? Let His words live powerfully within you. Why? Because His words are power. His words are power. And so, we’re either speaking satan’s world words, box words, or we’re speaking God’s spirit life words.
Apostle Paul says the Word of God cannot be chained. When you’ve got the Word of God living in you, you’ll not live in boxes, as per this morning’s message and last Sunday morning’s message. It’s the Word of God that will cause you to not live in a box. The Word of God cannot be contained. It cannot be constrained. It cannot be confined. It’s a living, it’s a living active energy that you put in you to work mightily in you. That scripture that I always bring to your attention in Thessalonians about you who believe the Word that exercises its superhuman power. It has superhuman power. which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it]. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 AMPC)
The Word of God is ethereal. It is spirit and it is life. Jesus said the words I speak to you, they’re spirit. They’re ethereal. They, you can contain it in you, but it’s going to come out of you in your life. You can’t keep it in you and it’s not working. The Word of God is active living atomic bomb energy. Hallelujah. So, if you’ve got the Word of God living in you, even though the words will be contested, satan will come immediately to attempt to steal the Word out of your heart. Jesus said it in the parable. He said Satan comes immediately to steal the Word out of you.
Why? Because he knows that Jesus is the Word. Jesus was the Word made flesh when He came to earth. He knows that Jesus is going to grow up in you. He knows you’re going to become a grown-up Jesus.
You’re going to look like Jesus. You’re going to speak like Jesus. You’re going to believe like Jesus. You’re going to dominate like Jesus. He knows he’s going to do everything he can, but he will come to contest the Word, but there actually is no contest if you keep the Word of God in your heart – if you keep it in your heart, if you receive it and keep it in your heart.
So, let’s have a look at Colossians 3:16 TPT. Colossians 3:16. We’re talking about the Words of God living in you. Let the words of Christ live and grow in you richly. (Colossians 3:16 TPT) Let the Word of Christ live in you richly. Let the Word of Christ live in you richly. There we go. We’re just looking at confirming Scriptures.
So, the Word, the Word is living. I’m just going to give you some picture of how powerful the Word is. The Word of God in the Bible, it says 49 the Word scattered and spread throughout the whole region. The Word scattered and spread throughout the whole region. It says the Word grew and spread and intensified prevailing mightily. (Acts 13:49 AMPC) It says that the Word of God has its own inherent power. (Colossians 1:6 AMPC)
It says in Deuteronomy 30, it’s not difficult. It’s not a hard thing for you to put the Word into you. It’s not a hard thing. Are we going to have a look at that? We’re going to have a look at that from the New Living Translation. Deuteronomy 30. Deuteronomy 30. Where is it again? Deuteronomy 30, New Living Translation. I’ve written here. I think it’s about verse 12. Let’s try verse 12, Leigh-Ann. Oh, just let’s go before. Let’s go to 10. Okay. Okay. 10 The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey His voice. And keep the commands and decrees written in this book of instruction. And if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, 11 this command I’m giving you today is not too difficult for you. It’s not beyond your reach. You can never tell God I couldn’t do your Word. This command I’m giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it’s not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey it? (Deuteronomy 30:11-13 NLT) How do I obey the Word of God? Can somebody go up to heaven and bring it down to me? Next verse. 13 It is not kept beyond the sea so far away that you must ask, who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey? No. The message is very close at hand. (Deuteronomy 30:11-13 NLT)
Most of the other translations say, “No, the Word of God is very close at hand.” You got it in your hand. It’s got pages. The Word of God is very close at hand. It is on your lips and in your heart so that you can (do) obey it. (Deuteronomy 30:14 NLT) It is on your lips and in your heart, so that you can do it. You can do it, if it’s on your lips and in your heart. You can do it, if it’s on your lips and in your heart, then you can do it. God was teaching His people that, even in the Old Testament. He spoke to Joshua out of Joshua Chapter 1:8, and He said to Joshua, “You don’t let this word depart from your mouth. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth (Joshua 1:8 NKJV) Don’t you let the words that I’m speaking to you depart from your mouth. Joshua, Joshua, I’m speaking to you. Don’t let what I’m saying to you depart from your mouth. It’s going to be in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it. And you can help all the people to do it.” This is part of their crossover. They are crossing over. They are going into the promised land. And God is saying, “It’s not difficult. It’s not hard.” Oh, my, my, my. The Bible also says that God’s Word cannot be chained. It says God’s Word isn’t in jail. (2 Timothy 2:8 MSG) The Message Bible says.
9 But the word of God cannot be chained or imprisoned (2 Timothy 2:9 NLT). The Word runs very swiftly. (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NKJV). 18 He sends out His word and melts [ice and snow]… (Psalm 147:18 AMPC). Wow. Praise the Lord. Glory to God.
So, we are talking about The Sower sows the Word, and we are now asking the question, “How do I sow the Word?” Do you have the answer already? “How do I sow the Word? How do I get God’s Word into my heart?” Because Jesus said, “The sower sows the Word.” And I have just read you the scripture. This is the way you get the process going, in your mouth and in your heart. Can we just go to Romans 10, please? From the New King James version, from verse 6, Romans 10. Romans 10 is quoting the verse in Deuteronomy.
The righteousness of faith, Deuteronomy sorry Romans 10:6. “6 the righteousness of faith speaks like this…” (Romans 10:6 NKJV) So, if you want to be right, if you were at church this morning – right. I’m right with God because my faith speaks like this. My faith makes me right with God. That’s what righteousness means. Righteousness. God credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness. Not his perfect performance, his faith.
So, “6 the righteousness of faith speaks like this”, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who’s going to go up to heaven?’” Don’t say in your heart, “Who’s going to go across the sea to bring something to me so that I can have His Word and do His Word.” So, the righteousness of faith does not say that. “… Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (to bring Christ down from above) (Romans 10:6 NKJV) It is quoting Deuteronomy 30 here.
Let’s read that out of the New Living Translation. Let’s see what it says, Leigh-Ann. Let’s see what it says, 6 “Faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Jesus down to earth). (Romans 10:6 NLT) If only I could be with Jesus like they were when they were with Jesus on earth, then I could do the Word. Right? “7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” (Romans 10:7-8 NLT), and we can stop right there.
So, how do I get God’s word into my heart – with my mouth. I get God’s word into my heart with my mouth. That’s the way you get the process going, in your mouth and in your heart. You put it in your mouth and it gets in your heart. When it’s in your heart in abundance, it gets in your mouth. The more you speak God’s Word, declare God’s Word, confess God’s Word, declare God’s Word, the more you will believe it. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Words of God. That’s how faith comes to you and faith comes to me, is by hearing, by me hearing. Right?
Speaking what God says does several things. When you speak the Word out of your own mouth, you are planting seed. You are planting a seed. And not only that, I’ve already said it, faith comes by hearing.
So, we’re going to have a look at Mark 4:26. Mark 4:26. I’ve got this out of Today’s English Version. No. You don’t have that one, Leigh-Ann? Okay. Let’s look at the NLT then. Let’s look at the New Living. Mark 4:26 to 29. The Kingdom of God is like this. The Kingdom of God. Okay. 26 The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground, and Jesus already told us that we… Satan comes to steal the Word out of our heart, so we know our ground is our heart. 27Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First, a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally, the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with the sickle, for the harvest time has come. (Mark 4:26-29 NLT).
I’m telling you, sowing and reaping. I’m sowing the Word of God and I’m reaping it in my life. The Word is producing fruit in my life. Glory to God. It is too late for anybody to tell me that it doesn’t work. I have worked this over and over and over again and produced crops, and I’m still working. My sowing and reaping, it will never stop. It will never stop in my life. This is how I bear fruit. This is how I abide in the Vine. If your words, if my words abide in you, Jesus says, if they richly and powerfully live in you, let them live powerfully in you.
So, let me read this from Today’s English version. 26 The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. 27 He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens. The soil itself, my heart makes the seed grow. My heart makes it grow. My spirit man is tailor-made for the Word of God. Glory. When I put the seed of God’s Word, by which I was born again, into my heart, my heart works it. The Holy Spirit works, who lives in my heart, works with the Word in me to speak to me and say, “Okay, now now corresponding action.” Right? “Come on. Now.”
This is a spiritual exercise, people. This is a spiritual operation. It’s a spiritual procedure. It’s spiritual. So 28 the soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain. You need to understand this – God is not sowing seed for you. You need to understand that God is not sowing seed for you.
He gives you seed to sow, but God is not sowing seed for you. He’s giving you seed. He’s giving you seed to sow. Every Sunday morning when Pastor John comes to minister, he’s got word seed from the Lord. Word seed. Word seed, and it’s–who’s going to take this seed? Who’s going to take it into their heart? Who’s going to lay it to heart? Who’s going to speak it, sow it, grow it? Who’s going to… in this congregation? Who’s going to do it? So, maybe I should just go there right now, Lord. I’m going to just give you some seed from some of the messages. The things that I’m speaking. Even from this morning.
I pursue the Maker. You show me how to live out of a box. My actions have rightness before You, not because of my performance, but because of my faith. My legacy goes all the way back to Abraham. All His blessings are mine. I am right with You because I have faith. My best dream is about You and Your word and being like You. I’m not dreaming about stuff. My assignment is so much bigger than having the box stuff. I’m Your purchased possession. Your blood bought me. My focus is not on the box, it’s to please You, to live and move and have my being in You. It’s to do my work of ministering towards building up Your body, the church. There are just a few that I got from this morning’s message. I’m putting it in my heart. I’m putting it in my mouth and in my heart.
These are points, I want them to grow there. I want it to grow here. Now this kind of, this kind of sowing is my journey sowing. I’m journeying with God the way He’s leading this congregation. This is my seed keeping me, getting me up to date, and keeping me up to date with the recognition of what God is doing. If I have a recognition, that’s–that’s was what Pastor John brought to us on the 1st January 2017, when he said, “Oh God’s not waiting for people to come back from leave. He’s speaking right now” and he said, “we have to have recognition of the time of God. We have to receive instructions. We have to give instructions. We have to obey with boldness and humility, and the law of attraction kicks in.” This is how I constantly have recognition of the time. What is God saying to us now through Pastor John? I stay up to date. I keep up on it. Glory to God. I am… wow. I’m beside myself to sow seed. I can’t get it in me quick enough.
And then last Sunday’s, Jesus, you are the Saviour of all boxes. Your saving power delivers me from all boxes. You’ve put me in a whole new world that You’ve created for me. I delight myself in You. I trust also in You. You are the utmost delight and pleasure of my life. You give me Your very own desires of my heart. The world wants me to live in a box that I have to work to get houses, clothes, food, and cars. I’m living in Your grand creation plan. I have dominion. I will dominate. I will not be controlled, constrained, intimidated by those boxes. I have domination fixation. I want You first, so everything else is added to me. I’m stepping into harvests and harvests, and harvests of the years, and years, and years that I’ve been planting, and I’m ready to have freshly planted things.
I’ve given you examples of freshly planted things from this morning. This is how Jesus can make all things new in you because it’s new wine that comes from The Vine. It’s new words that He’s speaking. It’s new, now words. If you don’t put the new, now words in you, it’s not going to grow in you. We are fanatics in this church. We are not an ordinary church. We are fanatics. I am a fanatic… go and look up the dictionary definition of that word. I am a seed-sowing fanatic, seed-growing, holding the Word of God in my heart, not letting anybody, anything take it out of my heart. That’s His order. His Word in my heart is His order, His covenant, His governance, and His law in my life. It’s the foundation of my life. Glory to God. Hallelujah.
I’m ready to have freshly planted things, newly planted things, midway planted things. Some have got their little stem up. Some have got a little ear already. Not a full corn in the ear yet. I don’t know where it’s at, in which process it’s at. My business is to hold it fast in my heart and not let anything take it out of my heart. And to cooperate with that word and participate with it and walk in the doing of it. That’s my… my responsibility. You are harvesting my life. You delight me. This harvest will never stop because You are all my desire. Hallelujah. I have a government. That’s the one before.
Am I giving you examples? You are lifting the lid, Lord. You’re revealing what You’ve put into me. What You’re doing with me. What You’re creating among us. What You’re doing with us. Oh, glory. Right, must I go on and on? My human energy is ready, Lord. I’m moving in. My human energy is ready, Lord. I’m moving into the promised land. I’m moving in. My human energy and my spirit energy is ready. Why? Because I’ve got active Spirit words living in my heart. Glory to God. They are working their superhuman power in me. I can’t take any credit for it. All I do is obey the Word and sow it. Sow it, keep it, keep it, keep it, hold it. Hold it, hold it, hold it.
There’s 2 words. I’m going to go there now. It’s not something I’ve taught before, but the Lord wanted me to look at that. There’s 2 words of how they received the Word in the parable. Talking about the parable in Mark 4 verse 16, it says …16 … they received the word. And this is a Greek word, Lambano. It means to receive as merely a self-prompted action, without necessarily signifying a favourable delighted reception. Now this word, received, in Mark 4 verse 20 means this. It’s a completely different reception of the word of God into your heart. It says this Greek word so the other Greek word, how they received it, with gladness. They received it with gladness. Oh, praise the Lord. Right?
That was lambano, but this receive, at the end of the parable it says 20 …the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit those that receive it into their hearts is the word paradechomai. It’s a completely different receiving. Paradechomai. It means to accept near, to receive favourably, to delight in, to admit into your heart with approval, it’s a different receiving. So, where am I going here now? We’re talking about the planting, right? The planting. So, it’s with my mouth. It’s with my mouth. God is not sowing seed for you. It’s not going to manifest for you just because it’s in the Bible and you happened to read it. It is not going to manifest for you just because it’s in the Bible and you happened to read it. It’s not going to manifest for you just because it’s in the Bible and you happened to read it. When you get it in your mouth and speak it out your mouth, it’s then picked up and fed into your heart and that’s the way you plant seed.
God has created us to be powerful speaking spirits, but you can be a powerful box-speaking spirit and then the power of the box world will work in your life. You can have box conversations. Those are death words, but they are still powerful. They still create your future. They still make you what you will be, because that’s what you say. Who you are right now is a sum total of all of your words. Everything that I have in me that’s like Jesus is because of the words that I’ve spoken. Everything in me that’s not like Jesus is because words I have not spoken, or seed that is still fresh or halfway, midway. Right. Not yet full grown. I can only grow by the seed of the Word of God, the incorruptible sperm of Word, the Word of God.
So, when you get it in your mouth and speak it out your mouth, it’s picked up and fed into your heart. And that’s the way you plant seed. Your inner ears, the ears of your heart hear it. Your inner, you have inner ears. You have inner ears and your spirit man has ears and eyes. That’s the real you. It’s the born-again you. It has ears and eyes. So, when you speak spirit life words, it’s picked up by your spirit ears, and it’s put into your heart. It’s amazing. Wow.
Let’s go to Proverbs 18. Everyone knows that in the natural if you don’t plant seeds, you won’t have a harvest. So, it is in the spirit. Let’s look at Proverbs 18 verse 20, in the Amplified. Thank you. “²⁰A man’s self, Proverbs 18 verse 20, Amplified Bible. A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth, and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].” (Proverbs 18:20 AMPC)
So, there’s a consequence to your words. 20…with the consequence of your words, you must be satisfied. It’s like Pastor John said the one Sunday morning. He said, “Lord, I’ve heard that. I heard that when I was young. Why have I not grown and developed in that more?” Remember? And the Lord said to him, “Because you didn’t take it seriously enough.” In other words, you didn’t take the seed, you didn’t plant it and grow it and water it.
This is a season. Mmm. This is a season for us to sow seed. Glory. 21…Death and life… verse 21. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it… If you indulge your tongue in speaking certain things, 21…they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life] (Proverbs 18:21, AMPC). That’s the death and life that Jesus talks about, that the Lord talks about in Deuteronomy. I set before you, blessing, cursing, life and death. Therefore choose life. Eat life words. Plant life words in your heart.
Let’s go to Joshua chapter 1, verse 8, Amplified. I’ve already quoted them, but I want your eyes to see this. God wants you to see it. 8 This Book of the Law… or this precious, holy written Word of God, … shall not depart out of your mouth. You see that? Don’t let it depart out of your mouth. 8…but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it (Joshua 1:8, AMPC). Is that clear and plain? It’s like Pastor John said this morning. Don’t you love it when Scripture speaks to you?
This is an amazing Scripture. Isaiah 59:21, Amplified Bible as well, please. Isaiah 59:21. God’s speaking here. He’s saying, 21 As for Me… as for Me, God, …this is My covenant, this is My league with you, says the Lord: My Spirit, Who is upon you, [and Who writes the Law of God inwardly on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord… (Isaiah 59:21, AMPC). That’s why we are teaching our children to be sowers that sow the Word from when they are young. We teach them and train them. We don’t talk box words. We talk life words. And so, it’s for the offspring.
“So how do I start with my seed, Pastor Sharon?” “What seed?” That was my big question. I said, “Oh Lord, I get it. I get it. I know this. I know this Lord. I know. But where do I start Lord? Where do I start?” And so He began to speak to me. Let’s look at this first though. Isaiah 28:23 Living Bible. Isaiah 28:23 Living Bible. This is how He answered me. Not New Living, the Living Bible. You don’t have the Living Bible? Okay. Okay.
Let me read the Living Bible first. And then we’ll look at the NLT. So, this is how God answered me. 23-24 Listen to me, listen as I plead: Does a farmer always plough and never sow? Is he forever harrowing the soil. This is Isaiah 28:23 Living Bible 23-24 Listen to me, listen as I plead: This is my Father pleading with me. My God Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever harrowing the soil and never planting it? 25 Does he not finally plant his many kinds of grain, each in its own section of his land? (Isaiah 28:23-25 TLB) I mean you got to believe me when my mouth went like, what? He’s answering me. You have to understand this revelation came to me over a period of a year of searching. Searching and seeking and here He’s answering me out of the Living Bible.
You’re not going to forever do this and not sow. And when you do sow, you’re going to have each section of your land. Your land, your heart, your life has got sections. It’s got sections. Right? 25 Does he not finally plant his many kinds of grain, each in its own section of his land? 26 He knows just what to do, for God has made him see and understand. 27 He doesn’t thresh all grains the same. A sledge is never used on dill, but it is beaten with a stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cummin, but it is beaten softly with a flail. 28 Bread grain is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. 29 The Lord Almighty is a wonderful teacher and gives the farmer wisdom. (Isaiah 28:25-29 TLB)
Oh, hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Let’s look at the New Living Translation. I’ve got it here in my notes too. 23 Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. 24 Does a farmer always plough and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? 25 Does he not finally plant his seeds — black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat — each in its proper way. Well, remember I read each in its own section of his land, and each in its proper place? 26 The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. (Isaiah 28:23-26 NLT) Glory to God.
You know, in that section in Timothy, where God speaks about the soldier and He speaks about the athlete and He speaks about the farmer, it says at the end of that it says, and God will give you understanding about this. And this is God giving us understanding about this. Glory.
So, first of all, we see there are many kinds of seed. This is a seed book. [Pastor Sharon referring to the Bible] This is a book full of seed. Seeds that I can sow into my heart, and it will grow if I receive it favourably and I take it close to me. Right? So, the Lord showed me, “Your life has got categories, Sharon. It’s got sections, and some are more important than others. And so I’m going to help you prioritise.” Right?
So , what are the sections of my life in order of importance? And that’s exactly how I asked Him. I said, “Lord, what do I do first?” And then He gave me this Matthew 22:36-40, out of the Amplified. Thank you, Leigh-Ann. Matthew 22:36-40. Alright. Ek kry weer so lekker [I enjoy it so much] because this works, people. I’m telling you, this principle in this parable shows you all about life. When you understand the principles and the truths of this parable, you will understand everything in the Kingdom of God. 26 … “The kingdom of God is as if a man sow seed, scatters …. 27 and he rises night and day … and it’s growing and he knows not how. 28 but the earth is producing of its own accord (Mark 4:26-28 ESV).
36 Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?] 37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … 38 This is the great (most important, …) and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 40 These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:36-40 AMPC). That’s it. I’m telling you; that’s what Pastor John’s been preaching about. Chase Him and chase Him and chase Him and chase Him and seek Him first and chase Him and run after Him. Hallelujah. And delight yourself in the Lord. Glory to God. Let Him be your delight. Let Him be your first love and chase Him and catch Him. You’ll always catch Him.
The Bible says, “You seek and you’ll find. You’ll knock and it’ll be open to you. You ask and it will be given.” God is not a God who’s hiding Himself from us. He hides Himself for us to find Him. He loves to be found. He loves to be found. He loves for you to find Him. Not for me to find Him. You can’t live vicariously through me. He wants you to find Him. There’s no one like you. There’s no one in this whole earth like you. He can have so many children who chase Him and find Him, but you’re not and He wants you. He wants you. He wants you to find Him because you are that child that’s not chasing Him yet. He’s deeply satisfied when you find Him. He wants to be found by you. Glory to God. Hallelujah.
There’s no one that can be with Him like you can be with Him. You will never be with Him like I am with Him. You’re not supposed to be. I am me, He’s with me. He speaks Sharon. I speak God. Right? He speaks Sharon. He made me the way He makes me. It’s like when you have four children. I mean, Pastor Garth has four children and they’re all different. They’re all different. They’re all so different and that’s how we all are to God. In His huge, big bosom, burly He’s the burly One. Pantocrator is the burly One. He’s got all this capacity to hold all of His children, millions and millions in His heart, and He knows each one of us by name. He knows all of our hairs individually on our head. He knows everything about us. He made us. He created us. He breathed us into our mother’s womb. There’s no one like you. You have what you have with God. And it’s precious to Him. And it’s personal to Him. He just lets me teach it the way I …. you know. Hy wil jou lus maak. Hy wil jou lus maak.
“Pastor Sharon, you’re not the only one that’s going to have this with God. Watch me.” That’s what He uses me for. Is to activate you and go, “Watch me what I’m going to have with God, Pastor Sharon.” That’s exactly what He wants. That’s what He wants. He’s calling you. He wants you for you. He wants you for you. So much, He wants you for you. Hallelujah. Glory to God.
And so, we have the most important parable and then we have the most important commandment. Isn’t that beautiful? Jesus said, “This is the most important parable,” and now Jesus is saying, “This is the most important commandment.” So, my sections so far that I can see is the Lord, my God, and to love Him, and my neighbour, and myself, and He gave it to me like that. He said, “Look there. There’s Me, first. There’s your neighbour, second. And then there’s you.” And I went, “Ahh, I’m beginning to see something here.”
So, the Lord, my God. So, these are very broad categories, but it gives us a very accurate solid scriptural starting point. It really did. So, my very first seed that I just got a little file like this, [Pastor Sharon raises her file], and I got these, you know, these little cards. [Pastor Sharon shows her cards in her file] That’s what I did when I was in my thirties. So, I’ve had some of these cards for, like, 30 years, you know. Like I said to you, no, I will say to you now – less is more. When you start sowing seed, less is more.
You know what I did? I went and found every scripture that I could find in the Bible of loving God. And I got so tired. After a while, I thought, “Lord, wow”. There’s like, I could write a book out of the Book, on loving God. I mean just Deuteronomy alone is full of it. You know what I mean? And so, when I started on it, I was like so, [Pastor Sharon pumps her fist, indicating that she was motivated], you know. And so, then after a while, I realized, less is more. “One seed,” Jesus said, “Like a mustard seed, can grow into such a big tree.” So, I said, “Alright, Lord.”
And I just put as a seed in my file, I love You, the Lord, my God, with all my mind, with all my heart, with all my strength. I love You, the Lord, my God. I just simply took the Word seed. And then I said, Lord, and I love my neighbour. I love my neighbour as I love myself. Right.
So, that was my start of my journey with the Lord. And then, as I started to do that, the Lord just gave me, He gave me some other words also to say that were not necessarily in the Bible, but listen to this. He gave me these. I’ve had them for 30 years about.
You are the object of my affection. You are the focus of my attention. You are the centre of my attraction. Wow. You are the object of my affection. You are the focus of my attention. You are the centre of my attraction. So, Pastor John spoke to me a few years after that, and he said, “The Lord said to me, I must say, ‘I’m devoted to You, Lord.’” So I added that to my seed. That’s not hard for me to say, “I love You, the Lord my God, with all my mind, with all my heart, with all my strength.” The translation says, “With all my soul, with all my heart, I love You.” And it’s not hard for me to say, “And I’m devoted to You.”
So, I want to become what I’m sowing. Can you see that? And then it went to; There is nothing I desire beside You. You are my first love. My whole being follows hard after You. I found that in the book of Psalms. My whole being follows hard after You. So, it’s not manifesting in my life yet. I’m starting to grow this now, right? At that time, my whole being was not following hard after Him, but I’m starting to grow it. It’s going to grow. I’m believing. I’m receiving that it’s going to be growing. “I love You.” Okay. Alright.
And then I got this; I devote myself completely to Your service. Okay. To be your mouthpiece in the earth and a vehicle of Your Spirit, of Your great love and power. Right. So, my neighbour, as I love myself. So, I started on simple scriptures like Thessalonians 4 verse 9. I don’t know if it’s 1 or 2. I’m taught of You to love others. Ephesians 4 verse 2; I live as becomes me with lowliness of mind, humility, and meekness, with unselfishness, gentleness, mildness, with patience bearing with others, making allowances because I love them. Right?
And of course, you can do the whole, I started with the whole of 1 Corinthians 13 and it’s still here. Because I’m planting it but then we’re going to go and look at; you have to water it and weed it. We’re going to look at that, probably next Sunday. But you’re now sowing it but you also have to water it, and weed it, and we’re going to look at that part. So here I am; without love I’m bankrupt…
I’m a noisy gong. I endure long. I put ‘I’ in there, in 1 Corinthians. I endure long. I am patient and kind. I’m not envious. I do not boil over with jealousy. I’m not boastful. I don’t display myself haughtily. I’m not conceited or arrogant, inflated with pride. I’m not rude and unmanly. Your loving me does not insist on its own rights, so I’m not touchy, irritable, fretful, resentful (1 Corinthians 13). You see, there’s just some of those that you can do. Right?
And then myself, myself would be … right. Okay. So, myself is everything that concerns me. So, my neighbour are those that I come into contact with on a daily basis. My parents, my sisters, my brothers, my husband, my wife, my children, my work associates, pupils at school, people in my church, etc. So, I’ve got some marriage things that I had to put into my heart. I had to put the Proverbs 31 things. I open my mouth with skilful and Godly wisdom, and in my tongue is the law of kindness giving counsel and instruction. Hallelujah. And then the Peter one; I deeply love and enjoy my husband (1 Peter 3). I don’t want to go into all of it now, but I put all of those wife scriptures and what the Word says I’m to be to him. Right? And so my neighbour is my husband, my sisters, my brothers. So, myself comprises everything that concerns me; my financial affairs, my health, my gifts, my callings, my character.
My character was the thing that I really took seed to. I took seed to my character. Why? Because there were some things in me that I knew, this is weeds growing up here, thorns. It’s stuff that must not be in this garden, must not be in this garden. I won’t have it in my garden. And I took the Word to a very particular area of my life and I don’t have time now to go into it, but I’m telling you, it was such a big thing to me, I just knew, if you don’t grow the Word in this area, your marriage is over and your kids will suffer for the rest of their lives. I had a temper. I had a temper. I would throw my toys out of the cots every time. I didn’t know that I had a temper until I got married. Because suddenly now I can’t just do what I want to do. And so, when I couldn’t get my own way, I manifested. And I took the word of God and that was where Pastor John saw the biggest change in me.
After a couple of months, he said to me, “Bring me that revelation.” Because I started to put it to practice. Because to me, if my husband, the ones that are closest to me, can’t see and feel and know the change in me growing, then it’s not working. But those closest to me see the change in me. Right? So, it took me… we’re going to look at the protecting, how I had to protect it. I got every anti-anger scripture in the Bible. I couldn’t have overdone that one.
God didn’t stop me either. He didn’t say with that one, “Less is more, Sharon.” He said, “More is good. More is good.” He really helped me. He really helped me. I mean, I can’t even think. I can’t even… it took me, it took me a year or 2 to work that out of my heart and for the Word to grow up in my heart. We’ll look at the protecting part of that. It’s wonderful. Well, this is hard work. By that time I was saying to the Lord, “This is hard work.” Then He gave me this one. He gave me this Scripture. Proverbs 24:30 Amplified Bible. And I think I’m going to finish with this.
Proverbs 24:30 Amplified Bible. 30 I went by the field of the lazy man. “This is hard work, Lord.” 30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep- 34 So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30 AMPC)
I tell you, I would have been so poor, poor in character. I would have been so poor in character, people. That’s why I’m saying to you, “That part of my life, my character, I wanted my… I want and still will always want my character to be like Jesus.” I took the seeds for my character – for my character. Hallelujah. So, “Time spent sowing seeds,” the Lord said to me, “And tending them means far less time striving in the natural.” Psalm 126:5, New Living Translation. Psalm 126:5, He gave me 2 new Living translation, 30 Those who plant or sow in tears. Those who sow in tears, another translation says, “Sow.”
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. I’m telling you, when I was sowing those anti-anger, gentleness, beautiful Jesus Scriptures into my heart that I wanted to become, I was sowing with tears. I was sowing with tears. I was, I was weeping at my need for precious seed. I was like a desperate, drowning, dying person. This has got to work. If this doesn’t work, I’m done for. I’m done for.
I was weeping as I was sowing. Tears were also washing me. Tears of shame washing me clean. Those who sow in tears, 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest, (Psalms 126:5-6 NLT). I give God all the glory tonight. Because I’m telling you, if it wasn’t for this teaching, you wouldn’t be sitting here tonight because Pastor John and I would be over.
Do you understand what I’m saying people? My temper, my bad character would have ruined everything because everything that’s not according to God’s law and order and government brings destruction. I would have destroyed my own marriage with my own mouth. I am so eternally grateful to God for giving me this revelation of the sower sows the Word. It’s saved my life, it’s saving my life. It is saving my life. Hallelujah.
This is how I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, self distress, serious caution, tenderness of conscience, shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Jesus. But it’s not in my own strength. For the Word of God is mightily at work in me. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
And so the reason that I plant. Yes, it is powerful and it changes me. But this is what I found, Song of Solomon chapter 4 verse 16. This is my main motivation. It’s why I wanted to be like beautiful Jesus and not behave myself like I was doing. How I was behaving.
This was my motivation – Song of Solomon 4:16. It’s Amplified, I think, yes. 16 [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights]. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits. (Song of Solomon 4:16 AMPC)
Let’s look at that out of the TPT as well please, Leigh-Ann. This is why you want to sow the Word. You want to sow Jesus because the Word is Jesus. You want to sow who He is into your life so that the fragrance of your life will be Him. It will just, He can come into His garden and He can see what’s growing there, and its spices can exhale to Him.
16 May your awakening breath blow upon my life until I’m fully yours. Breathe upon me with your Spirit-Wind. Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me. Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden. Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance. Come walk with me as you walked with Adam in your paradise garden. Come taste the fruits of your life in me (Song of Solomon 4:16 TPT). Come taste the fruits of Your life in me. Your living Word that I sowed, that I growed, come taste. Hallelujah.
Well, again, my prayer is, is that the word that was spoken to you tonight will find place in your heart that you will begin or you will continue. You will begin your life of spices and fragrances with the beauty of the Word of God that you letting dwell powerfully in you. You’re putting it in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it, you can be it, you can become it, you can be it, hallelujah, and you can have it. In Jesus Name. I bless you and I speak shalom to your life. Nothing missing in your life and nothing broken because the Word of God comes into your heart. In Jesus’ Name, and we all say amen. Thank you for being here tonight.
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TOUCH | TEACH | TRAIN | TRANSFER
