This morning I continue our series entitled, “Standing on a Word from God.” This is Part 25. We have been looking at the life of Abraham for weeks. Today I am going to share a few New Testament scriptures with you and then connect them the point I am making from the life of Abraham. Please follow me as I build my case.
The most well known scripture in the Bible is John 3:16. It says:
(John 3:16 KJV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
When Jesus was preparing to die, He said the following about his impending death:
(John 12:23,24 NIV)
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
After Jesus became that seed He talked about in John 12:24, after He was sown into the earth and died, we now see an amazing harvest. Paul said:
(Romans 8:29 NIV)
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- While Jesus was in the earth He was the “only begotten Son” of the Father. He was the only one operating on the level He was operating on. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was led of the Spirit in all things. He only said what He heard the Father say and He only did what He saw (by revelation) the Father do. He was the ONLY ONE living this way at the time. He was the ONLY ONE because He had not been sown into the ground as a seed yet. Once He was sown as a seed and He died, His single seed produced a harvest that is still yielding fruit (souls) to this day.
- When Jesus was getting read to die He said this about His death: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” He was talking about Himself. He was a single seed. He was the ONLY begotten of the Father during that time. But once He was sown into the ground as a seed, He produced an amazing harvest. It is so amazing that His single seed is still producing harvest to this day every time a person is Born-Again.
- When Jesus was in the earth He was the ONLY begotten of the Father. After He was sown into the ground as a seed, the Bible says that He is now, “The firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” When Jesus was in the earth He was singular. But since the Father used Jesus’ life as a seed, Jesus is now the first of many, many brothers and sisters. Jesus is no longer singular because His life was sown as a seed. You and I are part of the harvest. We are now supposed to live JUST LIKE JESUS in the earth. As Jesus is, so are we, in this world (1 Jn 4:17).
- When Abraham had Isaac it was tremendous blessing. We waited 25 years for that baby. However, Isaac was singular. He was one boy. Abraham and Sarah could thank God for this one son. But God’s promise was to bless the entire earth through Abraham and Sarah’s seed. Like the Father did with Jesus, Abraham had to be willing to sow his son as a seed in order to reap the harvest of the full blessing.
I will talk more about this 4th point tomorrow. For today, I will close with a couple more quick points.
- Sometimes God gives us an amazing promise. His promise becomes the dream that fuels our hopes and desires. In the process of making His dream a reality in our lives, God manifests the promise in stages and levels. Unfortunately, many Christians get so enamored by the partial blessing that they fail to continue to believe God for the FULL manifestation. If Abraham was so caught up with Isaac (who was only PART of the promise) that He failed to do what God said, He could have missed out on the FULL manifestation of the promise. God’s promise to Abraham HAS come to pass. The entire earth has been blessed through his descendants. It happened because Abraham was willing to SOW the seed in His hand for the DREAM in his heart. Are you willing to do the same?
- Thank God for all He places in your hands. But never settle for any less that the FULL manifestation of what God said. If you hold on to your seed when God is telling you to SOW it, you will miss out on the harvest God planned for you to have.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. I live with an expectation of full manifestation. I thank You for unfolding Your promises in my life in levels and stages. I know it will not all come at once. But I live in expectation that IT WILL ALL COME! I will never settle for any less than Your best. I thank You for ALL You place in my hands. But if You lead me to SOW what You blessed me with AS A SEED, then SOW IT I WILL! I will never allow a SEED to take the place of a FULL HARVEST. I am quick to SOW whatever You lead me to sow, because I live in expectation of Your FULL HARVEST in my life! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
