And Now Let Us Stand and Turn to Hymn n. 392

Scripture:  Romans 1:v.16-17 -  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "the righteous shall live by faith."

With the hymn 'Bringing in The Sheaves' there is an anchor phrase [other than the chorus we know] which is 'sowing seeds of kindness' in the first stanza.  Its emphasis is primarily if we show kindness, there will be a gain, a reaping, a harvest of sheaves [of won souls].  I heard this hymn much as a boy that the chorus stuck with me a long time.  I was impressed by the enthusiasm put to its singing, and the regularity of it.  I might have heard it dozens of times, not quite knowing what it meant.  The older folks sang it, not even needing to look at the verses.  It was a staple among hymns, right up there with 'Rock of Ages', 'Amazing Grace', 'Blessed Assurance' and 'When We All Get To Heaven', as well as others.  Of course, being an unsaved boy sitting in the church for two hours, uncomfortably dressed, unnaturally quiet and glued to the pew between the two enforcers, mom, and dad, made it all like hard labor, Sunday after Sunday, year after year, restless with thoughts of being outside, free for whatever, collar open and tie off. Hey, there were balls to be thrown, and puddles to be stomped! One o'clock couldn't come soon enough.  All the while, those hymns were pinging me upside the head.  I took squirming to the level of art.  I was just being a natural boy. Now, the natural outcome of being a natural boy, is, over time, to become a natural young man, and later just a natural man, whom with years would become a natural old man.  You can be a socially-churched natural man-citizen with all the paint and shingles expected of a Christian, and yet, not quite be that.

Nicodemus had all the paint and shingles to appear right- religious, mannerly, articulate, intelligent, cultivated, esteemed, even hygienically superior, and favored, and yet one night, having a conversation with Jesus, he was informed 'You must be born again.'  He was missing what mattered most-new life.  It is the gospel, which brings one there. Our hymn of note is good to emphasize and value kindness, but the horse before the cart is the gospel whereby  'Faith comes by hearing...'  Being fair with the hymn's author, he may have intended the gospel being implied within the word 'sowing', and if you squint real good you might see it.

The gospel, the good news, is that divine narrative that must be heard.  It was our own step one to grace, and it will be step one for those whom God leads us to share with.  'It is the power of God unto salvation", the apostle Paul would say.  The gospel which refreshed us and brought us life acknowledges His utter holiness, and our basic unholiness, how eternal death is the outcome without faith in God, how we have a choice to receive His mercy or not, and how God demonstrated His love for us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, that we shall be saved if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead.  None are so naturally righteous to merit what God has shown as perfect and perfecting mercy in His Son.  Kindness for all of its impact is pleasing enough, nice enough, but cannot go far enough alone unless it is glorious. It took the kindness of Christ who took our cross! Glory to the Lamb!  He did that for me.

Prayer:  Dear Lord God, help me to see what is truest about me, that with Your aid I might live out the grace that saved me, and share that truth so dear and written in blood, that You came to seek and to save those lost in the world.  Should I have pause, born of fear, forgive me, and stir me well to confess it now and overcome it, by Your will to do it, that I may give good witness with the power of the dearest of spoken words, the power of God unto salvation, the gospel, that I might come 'rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves'.  Lead me this day to kindly share this good news by which new life comes, by which the gift of righteousness is given, I pray, in Christ's blessed name.  Hallelujah, and Amen.

(by Dr. McNeal Brockington)