Laboring Together with God

1. Session 13 Laboring Together with God

2. Knowledge Objectives • Recognize how the characteristics of the Gambling Farmer are far too common in our culture. • Understand that the danger of the Controlling Farmer is not his discipline but his fleshly self-dependence. • Identify the God-dependent self-denial of the Trusting Farmer that makes him useful to God.

3. Application Objectives • Respond by identifying areas of self-indulgence in your own life. • Respond by turning from areas of fleshly self-control. • Respond by maintaining a faithful, trusting relationship with God that brings great joy to both you and God.

4. Session 13 Laboring Together with God

5. I Corinthians 3:6,8-9 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. . . . Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God.”

6. I Corinthians 3:6 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. “ Our Part: “Faithful Farmers” God’s Part: “Lord of the Harvest”

7. Undisciplined Disciplined Farmer Farmer Gambling Controlling Trusting Farmer Farmer Farmer God Pleases Self Pleases 3 Kinds of Farmers

8. The Gambling Farmer • He ignores the laws of nature. • He is the Proverb’s sluggard. • He ignores God’s normal ways of provision.

9. Proverbs 10:5 “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”

10. Proverbs 19:15-16 “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.”

11. Proverbs 24:30-34 “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

12. Proverbs 24:30-34 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”

13. Proverbs 20:4 “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.”

14. Proverbs 21:25 “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.”

15. Proverbs 26:13-16 “The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets [too dangerous]. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed [too early].

16. Proverbs 26:13-16 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth [too pushed]. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason [too smart].”

17. Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

18. Proverbs 12:27 “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.”

19. Proverbs 15:19 (Painful life) “The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain [is a highway].”

20. Proverbs 18:9 (Wasteful life) “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”

21. Proverbs 10:26 (Irritating life) “As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.”

22. Hebrews 12:6-7 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”

23. Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

24. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. “The Christian philosophy is a philosophy of self-denial, self-control, and self-restraint. The satanic philosophy is a philosophy of live as you please; have what you want; don’t let anybody tell you what to do; it’s your life, you have got a right to live it.”

25. The Controlling Farmer • He keeps the laws of nature. • He is driven and controllingeven perfectionistic. • He is intense. • Pleasing self is at the heart of legalism and of slothfulness.

26. The Trusting Farmer • He keeps the laws of nature. • He can become dependent upon his own disciplined habits. • His outstanding characteristic is the fruit of God’s Spirit in his life.

27. John 12:24-25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat [his own ambitions] fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

28. Wrap-up What Do I Do Now?

29. What Do I Do Now? • Take Time to Change • I Timothy 4:15,16 • Prepare your soil (Luke 8:15). • Stay in the sun (II Cor. 3:18). • Remember, God “writes out the checks” (Phil. 2:13).

30. What Do I Do Now? • Take Time to Change • Take Time to Teach Others • II Timothy 2:2 • Small groups • One-on-one discipleship • Become a God-loving, Word-filled, ministry-minded disciple-maker.