R1176 Work Like A Farmer

What I'm speaking to you is God's truth in our desperate world. I'm sharing God's truth with you. I'm not telling you something that's political. I'm not giving you a manifesto.

I'm not even sharing your club's covenant. I'm telling you what God says, and God says, be strong. That unique voice, that wonderful brogue is Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on The Encouraging Word, and as we are challenged to be strong, as he mentioned a while ago, in these next few moments we'll gain resources from God's encouraging word itself to gain strength on our everyday life and the way we pursue living for Jesus Christ. Dr. Don wants me to remind you as we begin our broadcast, we're connecting both online at theencouragingword.org and this phone number, I pray you'll jot it down.

Store it in your cell. It's 866-899-9673. We'd love to connect with you, whether it be connecting for prayer or answering a few questions or maybe connecting with great resources as well. We're here for you at The Encouraging Word.

And now Dr. Don Wilton. We've been trying to understand what it is that God would put in our hearts in our world. Our world is an incredibly turbulent world. We're living in a very interesting, dangerous, challenging, wonderful, perplexing time. I'm sure every one of you could add a few adjectives and angles of descriptiveness to try and place into context the world in which we live. Each one of us in our own perspective, we all have concerns. We're looking at our world. We're wondering what's happening, the moral decay that is taking place, what's going on from Washington to Sydney to London, people's behavior, the decline of the family. Do you know that the family is being smashed to smithereens?

I saw statistics recently that suggested that fewer and fewer and fewer people even see any value in getting married anymore. Abortion. We're living in a world in America today. This is America, folks. We're a people who pride ourselves on life, but we kill and murder babies left and right every day. We claim our rights. Just think about it.

If you were to take one aspect of what we are doing, we've concluded many times it's not going to take Baghdad driving down Main Street that will collapse America. It's the fact that we are turning our backs on God. The skeptics are everywhere.

Have you ever met a real religious skeptic, person who says, are you kidding me, God? Do you know how many people in America today never give one thought to God? Do you know how many people on the Lord's day, even in communities like our own, the last thing they think about is being in church, worshiping the Lord.

It doesn't even cross their mind. Legislation every day coming from those who are leaders in our world that are ripping the moral fiber of this nation apart. So, you know, the question is, where do we go? Where do you go, Mom? Bringing up your children. Where do you go, Dad?

Where do we go? What do you say? And here in 2 Timothy over these days, such a marvelous passage where Paul says this, let me just read it to you again. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 1. You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, for no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. Rather, he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.

The hard-working farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Now reflect on what I'm saying, for the Lord Jesus Christ will give you insight into all of this. That's what I would say to you today. I promise you on the authority of God's word that when you open your heart in worship, when you come before him, when you confess before the Lord, you say, Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner saved by God's grace alone. I want to know you can trust him. The Lord will give you insight. God will speak to your heart. In fact, he's speaking to your heart right now.

You know it. You can sense it. You can hear his voice.

He's talking to you, encouraging you, bolstering you, lifting you up, feeding into your heart this inerrant, infallible word. What I'm speaking to you is God's truth in our desperate world. I'm sharing God's truth with you. I'm not telling you something that's political.

I'm not giving you a manifesto. I'm not even sharing your club's covenant. I'm telling you what God says and God says, be strong. Here is Paul sending this young man out into a dark world. His name was Timothy and God sends him out and launches him and he sends him out and launches him and he sends Paul, this older man, this man who had served the Lord, this man who understood what it meant to be shipwrecked, this man who had gone through a lot of struggles himself but had stood firm, this man who was about to say, I'm fat, I have fought the good fight of faith and Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, let me tell you how to live in your world. Be strong in God's grace.

Now we've looked at that. We've come to a fresh understanding that knowing Christ means that God gives to us by his spirit all that is involved in his grace. So if I'm going to be strong in God's grace, it means that God evidently is letting me know that in my journey, in my zone, in my struggle, in my joy, in my sorrow, that I have available to me all that God is. I've been given access into the zone of God's sovereignty. I've been given access into the sphere of God's attributes. I've been given access to the very righteousness and the holiness of God. All that God is is in me by his spirit for greater is he that is in me than he that's in the world. Be encouraged by this and he unpacks this. He says, this is how you do it. Number one, you've got to fight like a soldier and we looked at that and what I love about that particular injunction that he teaches us here from verse three is that it gives to me something to look forward to, to fight like a soldier.

It's not a militaristic statement. It's a statement that speaks to a character disposition, a determination of the soul spirit that draws its nourishment from the very grace of God. Then he goes on from there as we looked last week and he says, not only fight like a soldier, but run like an athlete. And I love that as we began to unpack what it means.

What was he using? Using this incredible metaphor, this picture. He was trying to show us that we need to know who we are. We need to be set for the finish. We need to keep our eyes on the prize.

I decided even this week that when I wake up in the morning, I want to wake up with my eyes on the prize because if I don't, I might just slip or trip over my slippers that are right there next to my bed. There are so many things that come up in life and if we don't keep our eyes fixed and what he was saying is we need to be absolutely sure of our doctrine. We need to know what we believe because the athlete runs according to the rules. God has rules folks. I think perhaps one of the greatest challenges in America today are the numbers of us who are now determining what God's rules are. I don't ever hear God asking me what I think.

Love that little statement that some people say, you know, God said it, that settles it. That's why this is God's word. Well folks, he gets up to this culminating point, fight like a soldier, run like an athlete, and he culminates right here in verse six and he says, work like a farmer. Work like a farmer.

That's an amazing picture that he gives to us. For me to be strong in grace, I've got to work like a farmer. Well I began to think about this and I came up with five qualities of a farmer.

Now there are many others. I know you will add another 25 of them but just for the sake of our Bible study today, I want us to consider why would Paul invoke this picture of a farmer? Why does he say the hard-working farmer should? Why does he give us a picture of farming here? Well let me just give you five qualities of a farmer just to think about it. Number one, farmers know who they are. By the way, I've been around a lot of farmers in Africa, worked on farms in different places, love it, still talk about it to this day. Some of my favorite people to be around are farmers. Let me tell you there is a distinctiveness about farmers. Farmers know that they're farmers. Have you ever thought about that? Just think about farmers.

Even when it comes to politics, our politicians better take care of the farmers. They are a very unique group of men and women. It's a matter of identity. That's what he was talking about. He invokes this identity repeatedly and when it comes to knowing who you are, I want you to know that I'm a Christian man.

That's identity. So who are you? I'm not just talking about right now.

I'm talking about tomorrow at the office. Who are you? Ask yourself this question. When you're at the office, how many of the people in your office know your identity?

It's a good question, isn't it? Or are you just amalgamated? Do you look like everybody else? Sound like everybody else? Talk like everybody else? Behave like everybody else? The farmer knows who he is.

Number two, second quality. Farmers work the land they are given. Now I'm going to tell you folks, I know this is a general statement, but farmers work their own land. I think that's why Paul was saying this to Timothy. You want to be strong in grace? Know who you are and bloom where you're planted. Now that's a phrase I hear other people quote our pastor on many, many times.

And in my own life I've seen how it's changed. A friend of mine, it says bloom where you are planted. We love hearing God's Word brought to life by Dr. Don Wilton. That's what you're listening to on The Encouraging Word, a man who loves God and loves God's Word and loves letting us understand it better. We continue in 2 Timothy with Dr. Wilton in just a moment, but Dr. Don wants me to let you know maybe you're in a situation where you could have someone pray for you and that would encourage you in a special way. We're available at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. And we're available 24 hours a day to pray with you. As Dr. Don says, we all need some 2 a.m. friends and we'd love to be one of yours. The number again, 866-899-9673. Or meet us on our website, T-E-W, that's for The Encouraging Word, T-E-W online dot O-R-G.

Available there of course 24 hours a day as well. And now back to today's great teaching, Work Like a Farmer with Dr. Don Wilton. Know who you are and bloom where you're planted.

So may I say this with a lot of love because I'm talking about us, but some of our greatest problems folks in life as believers is that we're never content where God has us. You're always looking over your shoulder, aren't you? And we're living in a world that kind of causes us to look over our shoulder.

You know, I love this, farmers work the land they own. Stop looking over your shoulder. You want to be strong in grace as a believer, bloom where you're planted. God's got a very special plan for you and he'll take you from where you are to where you need to be. Whatever it is that you're doing right now, make up your mind this week.

You're going to do it a whole lot better this next week. When you do what you're doing a whole lot better, God will give you some more land. Some of you looking at me right now and saying, pastor, I don't even tithe. Do you know why some people don't give to the Lord's work?

Because they keep telling God they don't have enough to give. So why don't you give what you've got? God's not dependent on what you don't have. He just wants you to give what you do have. And when you prove that you give what you do have, he just might end up giving you what you don't have.

But you won't even give him that opportunity. Farmers know who they are, farmers work the land they're given. Number three, farmers understand their equipment. I remember in Africa, I used to work on combine harvesters.

I don't know if you've ever worked on those things. We'd cut the wheat fields and even as a teenager, I used to love it. We'd work in rows of combine harvesters and I just loved it.

I used to love tractors, riding these tractors, these big Massey Ferguson's and John Deere's in Africa, cutting corn and going up. You know, if you go to a farmer and you look at a farmer, there's one thing about a farmer that a farmer does is he understands, he knows his equipment. You can go out to most farms today and you will find farmers are forever tinkering with their equipment, always making it move and be this high and that low and, you know, putting this oil in that and making this squeak and that not squeak.

I mean, it's just a constant thing. They're always messing around with their equipment, but they know it. They know which equipment applies to what avenue of work.

That familiarity is very important. I think Paul was saying this to Timothy. He was saying, listen, man, know your equipment. Study the word of God. You've got an incredible piece of equipment in God's word. Study to show yourself approved under God. God has given to us the church to equip us, small groups to equip us.

We could go on and on. Farmers know who they are. They understand their identity. They work the land that they are given. They bloom where they are planted. They understand their equipment.

Paul here is telling Timothy how to be strong in grace. Number four, farmers study the harvest process. They study the harvest process. Most farmers who plant seeds for crops understand the process that takes place. The good farmer, the hardworking farmer knows which land is suitable for which seed. He knows how far apart to plant each seed. He knows how much water to give or not to give.

He knows what thrives in dry weather and what thrives in saturating weather. He knows how long before the seed breaks through the earth. He knows how long before he can reap the harvest. He knows the process.

When you know the process, you have a far greater sense of comfort and joy in your current situation because you see the end from the beginning. The farmer knows that it's going to be in that month that he's going to reap the benefit of his labor, which makes the moment of his labor worthwhile. He understands that what he does, tilling that soil is not wasting his time. He's willing to accept the scorching sun on his back. He's willing to accommodate the long hours that it takes to get the job done because he's studied the process. Paul here invokes us.

He says, listen, man, you want to be strong in grace? Work like a farmer. And number five, farmers feed off their own crops.

I always remember in Africa, I haven't done much of it over here in these past three decades or so, but you know, I love going out to a farm and with a farmer, you walk around in his fields. Man, he breaks them. Just taste this. Have a bite of that. Why don't you like it? I mean, it's just unbelievable.

It's like they're bragging, isn't it? And every reason. That's what he's saying.

The hardworking farmer eats of his own fruit. Now, folks, how does this all come together? What is he trying to say? There are two principles here that he's sharing with us that I want to just give to you today. Very briefly, two essential commands that come out of working like a farmer. Number one, be disciplined in your strategy.

OK, everybody look at me. Are you disciplined? Discipline means that you know what it takes and you get on with it. That's what discipline is.

Some here listening today and some worshiping, you know what it takes. You know what it takes to heal your marriage. Get on with it. Develop your strategy.

Have your plan of action and do it. One of my proverbial battles in life is trying to keep myself in relative shape. I'm using all these words very carefully. I don't need all of you to be looking at me like that. I've been holding my breath for the last 30 minutes. I'm looking forward to letting it go.

Problem is, if I let my breath go right now, my britches are going to drop. You know, for me, I'm just speaking personally, folks. For Don, I know what it takes because I put on weight very easily. And I love, love food. All of it, excepting boiled okra. But you know, you can eat boiled okra.

You'll never put on weight because you don't actually chew it. It just goes. So now what does it take? What does it take for Don, for me, to be well for Christ? For me, personally, I know what I've got to do. Come with me with all your stuff. This and that. And don't tell me about Dr. Oz.

Not one more time. So what does it take? I know that I've got to go to the Nautilus Fitness Center, my favorite place to go in Spartanburg. I've got to go at least three times a week.

Let me tell you something, folks. It's a discipline because I don't have time. So when I go to the Nautilus Fitness Center, it's a discipline. I got to get my little bag and put my shoes in, go there, get changed.

I got to look like an absolute dork and I'm around all of these atlases. But I got to do it, you know, two or three times, four times even better. I'm looking at Dr. Walker right now.

He should be going at least five times a week. You saw that coming, didn't you, Doc? Then I also know, besides that, that I've got to just make a few less trips to the refrigerator. And my wife's peach cobbler. Can I say this in a worship service? It will make you so happy. And my wife's peach cobbler. Can I say this in a worship service?

It will make you slap your mama. Well, we could all go on down the road, right? Here's what Paul's saying. Look, you want to be strong in grace. Now watch this, folks. This is, just watch it. This is so important. Be disciplined in your strategy.

Got it? That's a hardworking farmer. You don't have to tell a farmer to get up in the morning and get on with it.

And some of you are just lying around in bed morning, noon, and night like a bunch of slops. You need to get on with it. And in spiritually, what he's saying is be disciplined in your strategy. Be disciplined as a Christian in your Bible study. Be disciplined in prayer. Be disciplined in preparation. Be disciplined in service. And then the second thing he says is be practicing of your preach. Be practicing of your preach. This is what he says here.

He says the hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. You know what that means? Watch this, folks. You need to eat from the same table from which you serve.

You need to eat from the same. What he's talking about here is authenticity, genuineness. What he's looking into my heart, he's saying to me, now look here, pastor. Don't just stand there and tell everybody else what God says. You yourself go and do it.

The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to receive a share of the crops. It begins with me. It's time. I'm asking, I'm presenting to you God's truth. I'm inviting you to be strong in grace. Take hold of what God has said to you.

Lift high the name of Jesus because you can do it in Christ. You can be encouraged. I'm going to invite you to trust Jesus.

You can work like a farmer until you blew in the face, but if you're not like a farmer, if you're not actually a farmer, you'll never work like one. Do you know Christ? Have you trusted him as savior? Give your life to Jesus today. Love that great him just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou wouldst me to come to thee, O lamb of God, I come.

If you're ready to become a farmer, not work like a farmer without the results, but see the fruit come by being a follower of Jesus Christ, you can step out in faith right now, perhaps with a simple prayer repeating right after me, Lord Jesus, I realize I've been working hard instead of living for you. Lord, I give my life to you. I accept you as my savior and my Lord. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and I ask you to change me from the inside out in Jesus name. I pray if the Lord has stirred your heart, whether you use those words or others, if God's at work, let us join him in your life right now by putting some wonderful resources in your hands and helping you grow in your faith. You can call us right now at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673 or meet us online at theencouragingword.org. And speaking of resources that'll help you grow. My book, Saturdays with Billy is about an extraordinary relationship with a precious man who impacted lives across the world.

You don't want to miss this opportunity to be inspired by his life too. That's one of many great resources you'll find at TEWOnline.org. And while you're on our website, TEWOnline.org, be sure and sign up for the daily free email from Dr. Don.

Such a blessing. Again, sign up today on our website, TEWOnline.org. This broadcast is brought to you and supported and sponsored by The Encouraging Word Broadcast and the generous gifts of friends like you. I know Dr. Wilton is challenging us all to make sure we're in God's house on Sunday, gathering together for fellowship and worship and the studying of God's Word. If you need help finding a church home, we'd love to help you do that. We've got a couple of people on our team that help you find one in a near area that's a Bible-believing church. Just call us at 866-899-WORD and ask. That's 866-899-9673. Until next time, take care and God bless.