2. Must First Labor to Obtain the Reward
Nothing will come from doing nothing
Farming is hard work and requires hard work (diligence)
Literally, work to the point of exhaustion
The farmer must prepare himself
The seed must be planted in the ground
The farmer must supply water & fertilizer to help grow
Effort must be made to remove & control weeds, bugs, worms
The farmer must work diligently while there is daylight
The farmer must rise early and be devoted to his field
The farmer must depend on God for sunshine & rain
Farmers must do all of this hard work and then learn to WAIT PATIENTLY for the results
The farmer lives and works by faith

3. Must First Labor to Obtain the Reward
Nothing will come from doing nothing
Farming is hard work and requires hard work (diligence)
The Christian farmer’s season is year-round and there are no shortcuts (Matt. 9:37; John 4:35)
This applies in our efforts to teach others, as parents, etc.
It takes dedication, discipline and diligence
The work of the Lord is difficult, when we want easy road
Christian’s work hard because they trust in God’s promises

4. Must Be First to Partake of the Harvest
The incentive for such hard work is the hope of the fruitful harvest
The focus is not just on life here and now
The reward is often not seen or known in this life
The results of our labor will be known in eternity (1 Cor. 3:12-15)
The hard-working farmer is entitled to receive a reward—the first one to partake of the harvest
As one studies to teach others, he benefits first
As one works to strengthen others, he benefits first
As one builds another’s faith, he benefits first
He partakes first of the blessings of his own efforts