The Alternative

Guest (Male): It can rain, the sun can shine, and nothing's gonna happen.

Dr. Tony Evans: Dr. Tony Evans says, if you're looking for a harvest, you'd better make sure you've planted a seed. No matter how much church you go to, Bible study you have, or prayers you give, if there is no seed, there will be no harvest.

Guest (Male): This is The Alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.

You can't grow what you don't sow. It's as simple as that. Today Dr. Evans talks about planting grace seeds and the return God promises when we do. Let's listen.

Dr. Tony Evans: One of the laws that God gives is what I've called the law of the harvest. You need to understand this law because this is how things work. Barring the exception of a miracle.

Second Corinthians chapter 9, and I want to take you first of all to why this law is important. I'm going to explain the law in a moment, but you need to understand the context of this law.

He says, in the last verse of Second Corinthians 9, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." So, if a gift's that good, and I have it, I want to know about it. So the question is, what is that gift?

He summarizes the gift in verse 8. Verse 8 says, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good work." Let me read that gift again.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." The gift that God has given each one of us that is beyond Paul's ability to articulate is the gift of grace. That is the word that makes Christianity different than every other religion ever known to mankind. It is the gift of grace.

He even brings it out in the verse before his great verse of Thanksgiving, verse 14. "While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you." Surpassing grace. You have been, I have been, we have been given a gift that will blow your natural mind, and it is the gift of grace.

Which means if you don't know what grace is, and you don't understand it, and you don't know how to operate in it, you will not be able to maximize the gift that you possess. It's a gift called grace.

Grace is the endless supply, the inexhaustible supply of God's goodness doing for us what we cannot and could never be able to do for ourselves. Many of the toys that you buy for your children, and even for some adults, will say, "You need batteries." For this thing to work, you need batteries, and the batteries are not included.

God not only has provided sufficiency in every category of your life, He's included the power supply. It includes batteries. It is all that God has supplied, along with the power source to do it, for you to experience all that He has promised and provided for you.

Think about it. As long as fish have been around, they've not yet run out of water. As long as animals have been around, they've not run out of grass, trees, and foliage. As long as people have been around, we've not used up all the oxygen. In other words, there's more than enough water for fish, more than enough foliage for animals, and more than enough oxygen for people, even though we're dealing with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years.

Why? Because there's more than enough. That's grace. What I just described, we might call common grace. What God has provided His children is special grace. You get what's general to all, and you get what's special for you.

And He says in verse 8, "God is able to make all grace abound to you so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you will have leftover, you will have an abundance. More than enough. This grace comes from a person. It comes because of the person and work of Jesus Christ, which has freed God up to express His grace to you.

Let me tell you how big this word grace is. In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 7, the Bible says, "That in the ages to come, God might show His inexhaustible supply of grace." Translation, "You ain't seen nothing yet." In the ages to come, God is going to still be displaying all He has in store.

It is because of Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 8, verse 32 says that God has supplied all things freely to us by Jesus Christ. The beautiful thing about grace is, it's free. You can't buy it. You can't earn it. It's what God does for you at no cost to you, because the price has already been paid.

What Jesus Christ has done is freed God up because sin has been paid for, to fully express His favor to me and to you. Grace. And it is an indescribable gift. We don't have the words in the English language to explain the favor that Christ has opened up for God to express to you in every and any realm of life.

But in order for the grace, this word that we don't have enough words to describe, because it's an indescribable gift, in order for this word to have meaning to you, while you cannot earn grace, because it's free, you must access grace. Let me say that again. You can't earn it, but you must access it.

I don't like hard ice cream. I like soft ice cream. I like ice cream that's that's soft, you know, the kind of the the thing that comes out of the machine that's real soft. So, so if I ever eat ice cream and it's been in the freezer, when I was growing up, when ice cream was in the freezer, we would dip the ice cream out and then I would mash it with my spoon. I would mash it till I mashed it soft, because I don't like hard ice cream. I like soft ice cream. So I would mash it and make it soft.

And then they invented microwaves. Microwaves. The technology created a microwave. But when the microwave first came out, I was used to mashing. So I would still mash my ice cream soft when I had something brand new that would do the work for me. But I'd been so used to mashing it myself and making it happen. When all I had to do was change the environment.

And put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. And the microwave would do for me what I had to try to force and make happen myself. When you're in Christ, He's given you something brand new. But if you're not used to it, you'll stick with the old and miss out on this new radiating environment that's designed to do for you what you what you can't do for yourself.

And that word is called grace. The Bible says that grace and truth came from Jesus Christ. His job is to deliver God's grace to you, the and me, the inexhaustible supply of God's goodness. You cannot earn grace, for then it's no longer grace. But what you must do is access grace.

All of us here today have a relationship with the electric company. There is a supplier of electricity to your house. Electricity gives you the power to do everything else. To run whatever you need run by electricity in your house. Now, your relationship with the electric company supplies the electricity. But what it doesn't do is come flip the switches in your house. It gives you access to electricity.

But you must plug in the refrigerator, you must plug in the toaster, you must plug in the electric can opener, you must turn on the electric stove. The electric company is not going to turn it on for you. It's going to give you the ability to access more than you need. Because there there's enough electricity for your house and then some. So when you buy some new stuff, you don't have to call for new electricity. The power is from the plant. You simply access it.

That's how grace is. Grace is what God supplies, but what grace does not do is access the supply. You must access what God has provided, unlike the electric company, at no cost to you, because the price has already been paid. So grace supplies it, Jesus paid for it, but God won't access it for you. You must access the grace.

So the question is, why am I not experiencing the grace of Jesus has supplied? Well, it has nothing to do with the electric company. It has everything to do with you leaving the switch off. That is grace unaccessed.

Guest (Male): When Dr. Evans returns in a moment, he'll tell us how we can flip that grace access switch to the on position.

But first, I want to let you know that time is running out to take advantage of our current resource offer. It starts with all six full-length lessons in Tony's sermon series called Return on Investment. It also includes the companion study guide that makes it perfect for use with a small group study or in your own personal devotions. If you contact us by tomorrow, we'll send you this Return on Investment study package as our thank you gift when you make a contribution toward Tony's ministry. Make a point of visiting us today at tonyevans.org or call our 24-hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 to take advantage of this offer before time runs out.

I'll have our contact information for you again after part two of our message and this.

Guest (Male): Sunlit beaches, calm blue waters, and a week set aside just to breathe again. That's what's waiting for you on an unforgettable Caribbean cruise with Dr. Tony Evans. From February 28th through March 7th, you'll set sail on a seven-day Caribbean journey visiting Nassau, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, and relax away Half Moon Cay, a private island known for its peaceful beauty and white sandy shores. This time of year, the Caribbean offers the perfect escape, warm weather, gentle breezes, and a setting that invites you to slow down and truly rest. And while the destinations are incredible, what makes this cruise truly special is what happens on board. You'll experience powerful Bible teaching, meaningful worship, and authentic connection with friends and family of The Urban Alternative. It's a chance to step out of the routine and step into renewal. Come be refreshed, encouraged, and renewed. Find out more today at tonyevans.org. That's tonyevans.org.

Dr. Tony Evans: Paul says in Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2, that we access this grace by faith. Grace must be accessed.

So then, the word about this indescribable gift called grace is stuck into a verse, verse 8, between three verses that talk about you accessing it. And they're farming verses. Verse 6. Now I say to you, "He who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully, will reap bountifully." Then down to verse 10. "Now he who is supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and the increase the harvest of your righteousness."

All that's farming language. So let's look at the rules of farming or the law of the harvest. Number one, your harvest depends on whether you sow. Verse 6. Now, this I say, he who sows. You will never see a farmer or hear a farmer say, I have to get my harvest first. In farming, you cannot access a harvest without a seed. It is impossible.

Because no matter how spiritual you are and how much praying you do, if there is no seed, there will be no harvest. No matter how much church you go to, Bible study you have, or prayers you give. Because sowing must always precede harvesting. So, if you have a need, the question is, did you plant a seed? Because without the seed, it can rain, the sun can shine, and nothing's going to happen.

Because when it comes to experiencing God's grace, it must be accessed. Number two, it all depends on what you sow. First of all, it depends on whether you sow, but next, it depends on what you sow. If you plant an apple seed, you won't get a pear tree. If you plant an orange seed, you won't get an apple tree. Because as I shared with you last time, Genesis 1:12 says that when God created vegetation and fruit, He put the seed in the vegetation and fruit so it would reproduce after its own kind.

So, you can't plant one thing and be looking for another thing. The thing you plant has to be predicated on the thing you expect. That's why the verse, Luke 6:38, says, "Give and it will be given to you." In other words, what you plant is what you receive. So, based on the need that will tell you the seed that you need to plant, so that it can replicate after its own kind.

It then also depends on how much you sow. Look at verse 6. "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully, will reap bountifully." Anybody in your life want to do a little bit of work but want a big paycheck? They want to be highly favored. But they sow very little. But they want a big blessing. A farmer can't sow a seed and be looking for 15 acres worth of produce.

Next, your harvest depends on where you sow. You have to plant in that which is designed to receive the seed in which it is being planted. That's why he says in verse 10, "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness, you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God."

So what is good soil? Good soil is to invest in that which will allow you to legitimately give thanks to God. Can I give thanks to God for where I'm placing this seed? Is the soil a soil I can give thanks to God for? Or not? Because if I can't give thanks to God for it, I ought not to be planting seed in it. That's not where the seed goes, because it's not conducive for a good harvest.

Let me tell you something else. Your harvest depends on when you sow. When you sow. Now watch this. If you plant a seed of whatever it is you are needing, don't come out tomorrow looking for it. Okay? You don't plant a seed today and see a growth tomorrow. There is a time gap between sowing and reaping. Always. Always. Unless God is overriding His law. He does that on occasion. That's not His normal way. It's not His normal operandi. That's not normally how he rolls. Because it's farming.

There's sowing season and there's harvest season, which is why Galatians 6 says, "You will reap in due season." Because it's a seasonal issue, which means there will be a gap. So don't get frustrated, I'm sowing for Jesus today and I don't see anything tomorrow. There's supposed to be a gap when it comes to farming.

Now, watch this. Just because there's a gap, that don't mean nothing's happening. It's just happening underneath the ground. It's happening. Stuff is taking place. Stuff is moving. Seeds are opening. Things are being born. Things are being Don't get mad because you don't see anything. In order for a seed to live, it must die. It must be buried first. You put it in the ground for plants, for flowers.

So when you sow, allow a season for reaping. Knowing that when God is silent, He is not still. He's moving, it's just underneath the ground. He goes on. See, for a lot of Christians, they think God is a slot machine. You put a quarter or a dollar, whatever it is you put in a one-arm bandit, and you pull it hoping for an immediate result.

You want it to ring out money on the spot. We're living in a microwave generation. Your children want today what it took you years to accumulate. Because we're living in this microwave, gotta have it now, generation. Finally, your harvest depends on why you sow. Why you sow. Watch this now.

Notice in verse 10, he ends the verse by saying, "Your seed for sowing in the increase of the harvest of your righteousness." Here's what. God is interested in meeting your need as long as meeting your need is going to make you a better person. See, a lot of folk want to be blessed for blessing's sake. Never mind their life's not going to be better, their lifestyle is not going to be better, they're not going to be a closer walk with God, but bless me, bless me, bless me.

He's interested in the increase in your righteousness, not just the increase in your stuff. Yes, he can make all grace abound to you. But he wants to make sure the grace has made a better you, not made more stuff for you alone. But you say, "But I thought all of this was grace. I thought all of this was God doing it for me. But you're telling me I have to sow a seed." But did you see the verse? The verse says, "He who gives the seed."

See, you even get the seed by grace. Why? Because in whatever God gives, He puts the seed in it for the next thing you need. God has got this thing so covered that once He meets a need, He includes a seed. So he meets the need, includes the seed so you can replant the seed to meet the need. And when the need comes, there's more seed for further sowing, so there can be further reaping, so there can be more seed. And when you plant the seed, what pops up is bigger than what you put in.

So he'd turn this thing around so that as the Bible calls it, there's grace on top of grace. Because once grace opens up, there's more grace in it for more grace to be sown and received.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans will have a quick closing comment for us in just a moment. But first, if the concept of God's grace in your life is new to you, visit tonyevans.org today and follow the link at the top of the homepage that simply says Jesus. There, Tony explains what being a real Christian is all about and how to start a brand new life. Again, that's tonyevans.org.

And while you're there, check into taking advantage of our current Return on Investment resource offer. As I mentioned earlier, we're offering all six full-length messages in this series along with a helpful study guide that takes you deeper into the powerful biblical principles Tony's been presenting. They're our gift to you when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. But tomorrow is the final day we'll be featuring this resource package. So be sure to contact us right away at tonyevans.org for the details. That's tonyevans.org. Or call 1-800-800-3022. And let one of our resource team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222.

If you find the messages Dr. Evans presents here on the broadcast helpful, you'll also want to listen to The Unbound Podcast, a place where Tony engages in thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics with other followers of Christ. You can find these conversations on his YouTube channel or wherever you stream your favorite podcast.

Tomorrow, Dr. Evans explores the importance of being a conduit of blessings as he talks about the concept of sowing and reaping, pointing out that reaping isn't about keeping. Right now, he's back with his brief closing thought for today.

Dr. Tony Evans: God is able to make all grace abound in everything so that there is more than enough for you to do good things over and over and over again. So thanks be to God for His indescribable gift called grace.