Mensa Otabil - Begin to Plant (10/03/2025)
Well, we are ending our teaching on fruitfulness today. For the last two weeks, we’ve been focusing on fruitfulness. We’ve talked about how God created man to be fruitful and that the earth itself is made to be fruitful. We’ve discussed what God equipped us with in order to be fruitful, that inside us He has planted seeds we call gifts, talents, or abilities, and God has commanded us to be fruitful. We’ve talked about God’s attitude toward fruitlessness and the process of becoming fruitful with fruitful thoughts and fruitful words, and building something.
Today, we look at the last part of this message. So, Genesis chapter 9, verse 20: «And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.» After Noah had come out from the flood, God said to him, «As for you, you must be fruitful.» How did Noah respond to this charge from God? God said, «Be fruitful,» and this is what he did: The Bible says Noah began to be a farmer. Noah understood that fruitfulness requires work; if you’re going to be fruitful, you have to start somewhere and begin doing something. He had to resume his life; he had to start all over again. If he had a farm previously, it was gone; everybody’s farm was gone, and everybody’s work was gone. So he began to do it.
If you believe God has called you to be fruitful, you must begin. You must start the process. Noah began. Don’t procrastinate! Don’t talk about, «Oh, I’ll do it next week; I’ll do it next month.» Do you see how far we’ve come this year? All too soon, we are in May, and pretty soon we’ll be in June, and then half of the year will be gone. As you procrastinate, time doesn’t procrastinate; it is just moving by. Noah didn’t wait; he began. He started to be a farmer, which means he got a piece of land, obtained some seeds, planted them, and started working to be fruitful.
Begin! Don’t wait for somebody to encourage you or to say, «Let’s go.» You begin, and from today, from Monday, start doing something. The pastor says he planted a vineyard. He understood that fruitfulness requires not just farming, but farming is part of it, so he planted a vineyard. He saw the seed and started the process of cultivating so he would get a harvest. When you start, there must be something specific you begin with; he began with a vineyard. You don’t need to start with a vineyard; you may start doing something else. You might start a new business idea, begin writing that book, start composing that music, create that sculpture piece you wanted to do, or enroll in school.
Start doing something that will help you to become fruitful. And when you start, take one step at a time, one day at a time. It may seem like not much is happening, but that’s how everything has been accomplished: one step at a time. The highest tower in the world was built one step at a time. When you go to the desert, you see huge ant hills built with one grain of sand at a time. Everything happens one step at a time. We grew to our size one day at a time, growing a little higher until there we were. Don’t underestimate the power of time as your friend to help you, one step at a time, one day at a time, to get to where you need to be.
So begin! Begin to be fruitful; start planting and doing something. Don’t wait for somebody to come and encourage you-just encourage yourself and get yourself ready to be fruitful. I trust that this session has been helpful to you, and that together we will all be fruitful for the Lord who has called us and gifted us. Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, Your Spirit leads and inspires me today. I step out to do what You have called me to do. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Begin, step out, and get to work. Start doing something tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you!