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6 BOCNEWS.comDECEMBER 2015 He who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 114 We live in an age of uncertainty. Yet some things remain very very certain. If you dont sow you will not reap. If you dont plant anything there will not be a harvest. So how should we live when we are not sure how things are going to turn out Solomon the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes says If you play it safe and never take any risks you will miss out on the rewards. In other words in spite of all of lifes unknowns we have to live confidently. Every decision in life carries the potential for something to go wrong for disaster to occur. We must not allow the risk of the unknown to paralyze us and cause us to miss out on rewards in the future. Our lack of knowledge of the future should lead not to inactivity or despair but cause us to labor diligently and exercise a deeper faith. God wants us to step out in faith and take risks. He yearns for us to stop playing it safe and trust him in every area of life. Solomon gives us some tips that will help us to take some risks and avoid playing it safe. He tells us how to act positively in an uncertain world. WE MUST DIVERSIFY OUR INVESTMENTS vs. 1-2. Solomon is encouraging his readers to be wise and calculating risk takers. Here Solomon states that to minimize disaster and loss of the merchan- dise it ought to be spread out or diversified and not all placed in one ship as disasters were com- mon at sea. In our day we would interpret this as meaning not to place all our investments in one basket or to be diversified. Investment counsellors advise us to have a balanced portfolio of investments to minimize the effects of recession and inflation. Although we are to have confidence in our abili- ties take advantage of our education utilize all the knowledge available to us we must always factor in that we are spiritual creatures living in both a physical and spiritual world and all that we do is subject to Gods favour and grace. We need to make sure that any venture that we undertake is diversi- fied. We must have a balanced portfolio utilizing all the knowledge and resources at our disposal but ultimately recognize and depend upon the favour and grace of God. WE MUST SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES vs. 3-6. Things happen in nature and life over which we have no control. In spite of our lack of control we must not allow it to hinder our enthusiasm for life. In our Christian walk there will always arise some wind some cloud or other potential disas- ter at least in our imagination to discourage us. Winds and clouds are in Gods hands. If we wait for everything to be perfect before we make a move or investment we will never do anything. we will miss out on opportunities to do good and receive good. Fair weather Christianity never gets anything done. We cant sit on our hands throughout our entire life just because bad things some- times happen We cant wait for ideal conditions to take spiritual risks No matter what precautions we take there are some things we have no control over - so we must live by faith Take the risks and leave the results with God There comes a time when in spite of all the obstacles we have to go ahead anyhow. If all we do is wait on the right time on the right conditions on the right people or the right atmo- sphere then we will miss mira- cles Sometimes we have to move out on a maybe. Now Im not talking about senseless action and trusting God to empower our every whim. However I do believe that there are times when we have to step out by faith and that means that we will not be sure. To wait until we are sure is not moving by faith. All we may have is a maybe. However I believe the Lord would say If you will begin to move out on a maybe I will transform your maybe into a miracle We are to walk by faith and not by sight. That means take a chance move out even when youre unsure. Move out on a maybe. That means you can still have some doubts and reservations. You can still have questions and not know the whole plan. But if you will move out on a maybe then God can do an awesome work just because you stepped out in maybe faith. Some people are worried about making a mis- take. And it is a possibility. But I have come to know that you cannot make a mess so big that God cannot turn it around. You cant make a mistake so big that God cannot erase it or help you learn to live with it. If you give yourself permission to fail or falter you give yourself permission to try. And sometimes thats all God wants. He just wants you to try Looking at things with a natural perspective instead of a faith perspective will prevent us from sowing and then reaping. He who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR SEED Money is seed. Planted properly it will yield a great har- vest. If we give it according to the principles of grace it will multiply to the glory of God and meet many needs. If we use it in ways other than God desires the harvest will be poor. The Law of the Harvest is a prin- ciple stated in 2 Corinthians 96. I can summarize that principle in eight words Plant little harvest little plant much harvest much This principle will work with any resource time talents or tithe but I particularly want us to think about the advantages of investing in Gods work. Three truths accompany this principle of sowing and reaping that will result in an increase of your harvest. One you will always reap what you sow. That means you wont get beans if you plant peas. If you want high-grade pea- nuts you must plant high-grade peanuts. If you want Gods best blessings then give him your best. The second truth is that you always reap more than you sow. One peanut planted can grow a bush with many roots full of peanuts. One corn seed can produce a stalk with two or three ears having hun- dreds of grains of corn. One dollar given to God to purchase 10 gospel tracts can result in thousands of saints thanking you in Heaven. One life lived for God can influence hundreds even millions to imitate that life. The third truth applying the principle of the har- vest is you always reap later than you sow. Sowing and reaping dont usually happen on the same day. It may take months or years to see your harvest and you may never see all of its results until you get to Heaven. If you say But Ive tried tithing and I still havent caught up on my bills dont give up. Sowing calls for patience and faith in the principle of the harvest. It will work. In Malachi 310 God invites you to test him by returning all the tithes to his storehouse which is your church and see if he doesnt open the windows of Heaven with more blessings than you can handle. Also understand that not all your blessings will be in the form of material things and God doesnt give a timetable for those blessings. He will do it when its best for you. But you can count on this God would not issue that challenge if he didnt want you to try it and if he didnt intend to bless you in more ways than you can imagine When we invest what God has given us in his work he will provide us with even more to give in his service. Again let us remember The greatest giver of all is God The greatest blesser of all is God. The great- est keeper of promises is God. The greatest teacher of truth and righteousness the one who sent the word to us in flesh and blood so we could not only hear and see heavens truth and love we could be joined with him Before you were a giver God was and still is the greatest giver. You and I are blessed today because God gave. He gave us one Friday a Savior and a sacrifice on a cross. He gave us a one Saturday a borrowed tomb and a death. He gave us a one Sunday an empty grave left behind grave clothes and a risen Savior. What will you do with your seed Giving is not something we do but something we are. Giving is a way of life for the Christian who understands the grace of God. If we dont cast our seed give into the lives of others and plant seeds of service into the lives of other people then we will never receive a harvest. We must not be fearful to invest our lives and our resources. As the old song says We dont not know who holds tomorrow but we know who holds our hand. William T. Golson No Risks No Rewards By Pastor William T. Golson SERMON We are to walk by faith and not by sight. That means take a chance move out even when youre unsure. Move out on a maybe. That means you can still have some doubts and reservations. You can still have questions and not know the whole plan. But if you will move out on a maybe then God can do an awesome work just because you stepped out in maybe faith.