Sowing and Reaping

Well, we finished, like I said, reconciliation, forgiveness at Gilgal. We moved on to Gilgal,

a new economy. Because to recap, at Gilgal, and you did get my notes, right? Okay. They

were quite elaborate. You will not be getting them every week. So do write notes today.

Pardon? Yes. From last week, because I didn't have the scripture references. Now, Gilgal

was the beginning of a new economy because the manna stopped and people began to live

off the produce of the land. And last week, we talked about this. We said that one, there

was a change of economy. Two, we said that God wants us to be able to rule over resources.

God wants us to be able to rule over resources. We traced it back to Genesis 1.28, where God

said, listen, I've given you this and this and this, herbs, trees, plants, animals. I

want you to rule over them. And we also talked about 2 Corinthians 9, where we realized that

God gives us resources to rule over so that he can fulfill his mandate. And we are supposed

to be dispersers of his resources. Then we talked about Matthew 25 and the parable of

the talents. And we realized that we can receive what we need today according to our present

ability, according to your faithfulness then and a knowledge of principles, your ability

either increases or decreases. Then we talked about tithing and how it's an old mechanism

that cannot and does not apply to a New Testament people who are not limited in their giving

or generosity. And therefore, after studying tithing and its reality, not as the church

has presented it for the last 100 years, we then said this is not the way to go, it's

only training wheels. And we talked about the different ways of giving. Today, we're going

to take it one step further. But before we do, I want us to know this. Guys, you are

called to rule over resources appointed to you so that you can fulfill the vision appointed

to you. Let me say that again. And I pray, God, that we hang on to every word taught

today. It has nothing to do with a teacher. It has everything to do with the tremendous

benefit that you can accrue in your life today if our mind shifts to what God is going to

say to us today. So the first thing I want to say is you can rule over the resources

appointed to you so that you can fulfill the vision appointed to you. Or a church should

rule over its resources appointed to it so that the church can fulfill the vision appointed

to it. And when provision is locked, vision is shackled. When provision is locked, vision

is shackled. When provision is locked, vision is shackled. Locked. When provision is locked,

when vision is shackled, and your wisdom is despised. And your wisdom is despised.

So on one hand, you're giving, the reason you're given resources to rule over is so

that you can fulfill the vision or the mandate you've been given as an individual, as a family,

as a group, as a church. But on the other hand, if provision is absent or if provision

is locked, then your vision is shackled and your wisdom is despised. Turn to Ecclesiastes

9.15. Ecclesiastes 9.15. Ecclesiastes is after problems.

Q. Ecclesiastes is despised in this context.

A. Despised as in, so what if you have tons of wisdom? You're a poor guy, I don't want

to listen to you. What you got to show for yourself? Ecclesiastes 9.15.

And here's what it says, starting from verse 13.

I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me. There was once

a small city with only a few people in it, and a powerful king came against it, surrounded

it and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but

wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom, but nobody remembered the poor man. So I said,

wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are

no longer heeded. When provision is locked, vision is shackled and your wisdom is despised.

Q. How do you understand this passage?

A. Just to take what Diana is saying and apply it to us, when we study things, sometimes

a passage may not, we may not comprehend the passage immediately in terms of what it says,

and it might need a complete teaching to elaborate the passage, but you can draw a principle

out of the passage and apply it to what we are learning now. So in terms of explaining

the passage, we would really need about 20-25 minutes, but we're going to draw out a principle

now and apply it. And sometimes that's the way passages work, because this passage alone

you can spend, I'm not kidding you, an hour and a half teaching on. So we'll draw the

principle out. It's not that provision is absent, provision is locked.

Q. Locked by ignorance?

A. Locked by sometimes our ignorance, locked by a lack of understanding of principles,

because once we walk in knowledge, it's always a door opener, a treasure box opener.

Q. Locked in ignorance?

A. Locked in ignorance, locked in lack of knowledge of principles.

Q. Ignorant of principles.

A. Guys, to rule over resources, we need to know the principles that govern resources.

To rule over resources, we need to know the principles that govern resource management.

I'll say that again. If I want to rule over resources, if Acts 29 wants to rule over resources,

then we need to know the principles that govern resource management. We've got to know the

principles.

Many givers, there are many givers who operate without the knowledge of these principles.

Many givers, there are tons of good givers guys. There are many good givers. Matt, I

bless you Matt. Matt, look at me. I bless you. I bless you. You're a powerful man of

God who has the Spirit of Christ living in you, and you shall rule by the Spirit within

you. Right? Amen.

Many givers operate without the knowledge, many givers operate without the knowledge

of principles. So there are great givers in church. Even in this church there are great

givers. But you can be good givers, but you can still operate without the knowledge of

principles. And you know what happens then? There's wastage. There is inaccurate sowing,

and sometimes the harvest is not what it is supposed to be. There is the pouring of new

wine into old wineskins. Principles of resource management allow you to have structures like

new wineskins. The wine is then not wasted. The sowing is accurate. And the harvest is

optimal. You'll get everything that you're supposed to get. And so I say to you, if you

think you've been a good giver all your life, I bless you. But I say to you that there are

still principles you do not know. So if you think that you've learned all the principles

and there is nothing new to learn, then I'm saying to you that your giving, though splendid,

is being wasted, is inaccurate in its sowing, and therefore will not produce the full harvest

that it could, given what a wonderful giver you are. Resource management, or how we disperse

our resources, deal with our resources. And the other thing I want us to know is that

as we approach this topic, which we'll do this week and next week, God willing, is this.

This is a mistake made by many who preach prosperity and who want prosperity. You cannot

buy just the treasure. You have to buy the whole field. It's a parable. Matthew 13, verse

Matthew 13:44

44, it says this. There was a man who found out that there was a treasure in a field.

But guess what the man did? He didn't go after the treasure. He first went and bought the

whole field so that now that he has the whole field, he can go after the treasure. It is

not possible to get rich in God's economy by going just for the treasure. You have to

buy the whole field, meaning we have to get into everything that God has in terms of ruling

over resources. That is when there is consistent flow of wealth in and out of you.

Any questions? I'll give you an example of how we don't buy the whole field. You can

just believe that if I tithe, God will prosper me. That's buying the treasure and God will

bless you. But there's so much more to giving than tithing. Or if I give, I will receive.

But there's so much more to giving and receiving than just give and receive. So much more to

it. So much more to it. We are not here to get rich. We are here to have wealth flow

through our hands like water so that the vision and the mandate of God will be fulfilled because

of the resources that flow through us without a problem because suddenly God sees a people

who he can give according to their ability and who are not falling for the age old trap

of the love of money and who just love giving. Just flow through you like water. Any other

questions? Any other questions?

Okay. Let's talk about sowing then. If you go to Genesis 822, you'll see God saying

that this is immediately after the flood. He makes a statement. He says, as long as the

earth remains, there will be seed time and harvest. In Galatians 6-7, he says something

similar through Paul when he says that what you sow, that you will reap. So guys, it's

a universal principle. And in the context of what we are teaching right now, don't take

it lightly. Let it sink deep in your heart that God meant right from the beginning, immediately

after the flood, he said, Jacob, as long as the earth remains, there will be seed time

and there will be harvest. And then in the New Testament, he says, Jacob, whatever you

sow, you will reap. And it applies to every area of your life. But this is such a fundamental

principle. The second thing we need to know about sowing and reaping, you will always

reap more than you sow. You always reap more than you sow. If you sow the wind, you will

reap the whirlwind. Hosea 8-7. So it goes both ways, guys. When you sow sin, you reap death.

It is not an equal exchange. If you sow unkindness, you will reap violence towards yourself. When

Wendy sows kindness, she will reap like crazy. When you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind.

Jesus said this in John 12-24. He said, unless, if you were using corn as an example, unless

a kernel of corn for a seed, you reap the whirlwind. So you reap the whirlwind. So you

reap the whirlwind. So you reap the whirlwind. So you reap the whirlwind. So you reap the

whirlwind. If it falls to the ground, you will not be able to get a cob of corn. And

it multiplies exponentially. So the first principle is reaping and sowing applies to

monies for sure. Second, you never get what you sow. You always get more. Be it negative

or positive, you always get more. Now we need to connect the two things. The first is the

giving to sowing. Please understand that giving is just not giving. Giving has to be understood

as sowing. Guys, this is so crucial. We have to begin to equate giving to sowing. Giving

is not just giving something away. See, when we think of giving, we think we are giving

something away. No, when you are giving, you are always sowing. Come on, Sue, you are not

doing the classroom thing. You are supposed to end all those sentences. Because one of

the problems the church has kind of sunk into without knowing is that we think giving is

giving away. So I gave away. No, no, no. You did not give away. You sowed. Change. Change

this equation in your mind. It is vital to the rest of the economy at Gilgal. You never

give away everything. You always sow when you give away. No, I am saying you are, whenever

you give, you are sowing. You have got to change this in your thinking. You are sowing.

God gave his son. He sowed and he reaped a multitude of souls, Isaiah 53. Got to connect

giving to sowing. Otherwise giving away is giving something away. No, it is not a wasteful

giving. Every time you give, know that when it comes to economy, you are always sowing.

Another word for giving and receiving is sowing and reaping. Very important to understand

this. Our mindset. Our mindset. Results could be the same. It is just that the image that

is conjured with the word giving is I let it go. And God is not giving away. He is giving

away. As we go to the rest of it, we will find that God has certain principles that

he wants intentionally to be put in our lives so that we don't look at giving as just letting

it go but as sowing. And therefore receiving is reaping. The words, like she said, it is

not so much the result. It is a change in our thinking that needs to happen. Because

most of the time I give away, I don't sow. I mean, to tell you the truth, till I started

working on this, I never knew the difference between giving and sowing. So... Not sowing.

I have always talked about giving. I have never talked about sowing. I give away. It

doesn't matter.

True. True. Giving is to... Yeah. Yeah. And I don't want to run away from the word get

because seed time and harvest. God invented that, not me. So I don't want to run away

from get and act extra pious. The other thing about sowing, guys, is God kind of has a

sowing is always expectant. It goes back to what he's just said. God kind of sowing

is always... Go ahead, Joan.

But if you're giving to get, you're getting to give.

If you're giving to get, you're getting to give. True. It comes back.

It doesn't stand for selfish.

It doesn't. Which is something else we'll be talking about.

It doesn't let me sow, you don't need.

Yeah. It's just universal law. Sowing is never going to be something that is done without

expectation when a farmer sows. When a farmer sows, he sows expectantly. The Bible talks

about it. The Bible talks about it in the book of James where a farmer sows and then

waits patiently. Sowing that is reluctant or neutral lacks the nature of God, guys.

Sowing that is reluctant or neutral lacks the nature of God. A God kind of sowing is

always expectant.

So that mindset is really important.

Yes.

You can't say, you put on that black thing.

No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

In Mardochai it says, like this, they must have said, bring your clothes and you approve

me.

Yes.

I will not open my hands and bring them and pour down on me.

On you. Yeah.

You've given out my pour.

Yeah. Guys, if you miss something I'm saying, just ask and I'll repeat it, okay?

Okay. A God kind of sowing is always expectant and if sowing is reluctant or neutral, if

sowing is reluctant or neutral, sometimes sowing can be without expectation, without

reluctance but with no expectation. If sowing is reluctant or neutral, it lacks God's kind

of sowing, meaning it lacks, I'll tell you what it lacks. It lacks the nature of God.

Sorry. It lacks the nature of God because have you noticed how God gives freely? God

gives joyfully? God gives voluntarily? God gives generously? God gives freely? God gives

voluntarily? God gives joyfully? God gives generously? God gives freely? God gives generously?

God gives joyfully? And God gives voluntarily? And so if my giving is neutral or reluctant,

it lacks the nature of God. That is such an important part of sowing.

Go ahead.

I always think if the Lord has put something in our heart for us to give, because that's

the terminology I was used to, you give it and then God deals with the results.

Yeah. You still have to. The farmer sows and there's nothing he can do. In fact, the Bible

says once he puts a seed in, there's nothing he can do. He has to wait.

I mean, I would even not worry, but am I supposed to be more concerned about the results?

No, we're not concerned about the results. We are expectant in our sowing. A farmer wants

to, when a farmer sows, he never sows with... Yeah.

And he never worries?

He doesn't worry, but he sows with expectancy.

We'll get there, because you will see that sowing also... Pardon? I'm talking about every

time you give you sow. Every time you're giving, you're sowing. You don't... Let's for a second

assume that Chris is going to sow, give me a thousand bucks. She comes and she gives

me a thousand bucks and she doesn't expect it back. But guess what? When she's coming

and giving me, she's still sowing into this ground.

But this giving is not... She's not expecting anything out of it. But she gets it. But this

giving is not.

She's not expecting money back, but there isn't... Whenever you sow, there is an expectant

sowing which you know is going to pay off at some point. That there is going to be

benefit to Jacob. There's going to be benefit to Jacob's children. There's going to be benefit

to her, because as long as there is seed time, there will be harvest. A benefit will come

to her. She's not waiting. Benefit, benefit, benefit, benefit. But she's absolutely sure

that the benefit will come to her and her children and her children's children. It is

just impossible to avoid it.

There are hindrances to harvest which we'll talk about, but it is impossible to avoid

the circle. This is like saying, I'm going to sleep tonight. If I die tonight, that's

great. I'll go to heaven. But don't tell me you're not looking forward to the sunrise

tomorrow. You wouldn't want this dark for the rest of your life. So I go to sleep. There's

an expectancy that the sun will rise. But if the sun doesn't rise and I die tonight,

praise God, there'll be bright light forever.

Is that kind of a thing?

I think we get wound up in the money part of it. But it's the same thing when we pray.

We expect.

Oh yeah. Good point. Every time I pray, I expect. But this is not going to disappoint

me if God doesn't answer immediately or if God makes something happen in over a period

of six months. When you and Sapna decided to have a child, not every time you tried

having a child, did you have a child? But that didn't destroy anything for you. But

you have an expectancy that we're going to have a baby and now she's pregnant. You still

have to wait nine months. So please think in terms of sowing, not in terms of giving.

Because even when you give away, you're actually sowing. And if you have sown, then there is

a principle that God established before your forefathers were born, right in the time of

Noah, when he said, as long as the earth remains, there will be seed time and there will be

harvest. And therefore, even though you're not waiting saying, I gave, where is my return?

You know that it is impossible to escape a universal principle.

It is an intentional change in our minds that we are not giving away, we are sowing. And

now that we have sown out of generosity, out of the nature of God, now there is a harvest

coming. And we'll talk about it because we've only started, right? By the time we talk about

it more, we'll see how this works even better. So the next point is, guys, there is no end

to the reaping of some of the seeds sown. This is just so marvelous. When you sow, some

of the seeds you sow, there is no end to the reaping you will do because it almost

has a domino reaping effect. Like, guys, there are places that I have sown in the last four

years where I have been reaping now for the last three years. It doesn't end. I'm talking

about sowing monies, I'm talking about sowing non-cash items, I'm just talking about sowing

time and my strength into things and it never ends. It has a domino effect. Sometimes you

sow and you get a harvest and you're done. But sometimes what you sow will affect generation

after generation after generation. I'll tell you something. Joan is a beneficiary of a

dad who knew how to sow.

I used to hear him laughing downstairs and he'd say, Joan, come down here and you'd get

a good suspension. It didn't stop when her dad died. And it won't stop when she dies

either because those that she has taught will now benefit from the same principle. Why?

Because some seeds that are sown will go on and on and on and on. Because when we give

away something we think it's a one time act. Gone away, no more. It's very different when

it's sown.

Is there a person that says don't blitz something that God has sown?

I don't know. Find that out for me because I don't think it says that but I could be

wrong. It says don't call profane what God has called profane. It's a very simple thing.

Don't call holy. That's in Hegai or Malachi but I'm not sure of the other ones.

So how much should I sow?

Don't open doors that God has shut.

No, that's not in the Bible.

The Holy Spirit said that to Peter too.

Pardon?

The Holy Spirit said that to Peter.

Don't open doors that I have shut?

No.

In Acts it says don't call dirty what I've called holy when the sheet is let down.

Guys, the other thing about giving is this. Since we're talking about sowing, how much

should I sow?

How much should I sow?

Have you sown and sown?

Yeah, how much should I sow?

The Lord says sow bountiful yield, be very bountiful yield.

Sow it.

Yeah, so let me give you, that's what the Lord said. Now let me take you to an even

greater extreme. How much did the widow in Luke 21, 4 sow?

Everything.

Guys, so if you want a standard of how much you should sow and you want to be extreme,

then the one person that represents who the father is, is that widow in Luke 21, 4 because

she sowed so much that she had nothing left.

That is the nth degree to which you can sow, just in case you thought, so where would the

limit be to sowing dear Lord?

That is the nth degree to which sowing can go and we do not know the rest of the woman's

story but I guarantee you on the basis of the principle of seed time and harvest, that

woman did reap. We don't know about it. But keep that as one of the things you want to

find out in heaven.

Yeah, she gave what was left of hers. But this was real. Yeah, that too. Good point.

Now if someone says, but if you sow like that, what about saving? I mean, shouldn't one

save for a rainy day? Shouldn't we save for the days ahead? Guys, the Bible never talks

about saving. The Bible only talks about surplus.

But the Lord says something about saving.

Yeah, so what is the word for saving?

The Bible never talks about saving. The Bible only talks about surplus.

But the Lord says something about gathering cherries for our children.

That's in terms of an inheritance but it comes out of a surplus, not out of saving.

The Bible does not talk about saving. It talks about surplus. We may immediately go and think

of the ant in Proverbs 6. The ant in Proverbs 6 is an illustration of diligence, not of

saving. The Bible talks about a surplus. Deuteronomy 28.12. If you follow these things, I will

bless you and give you a surplus.

Mind shift again.

We have to begin to live in an economy at Gilgal where we live by surplus.

God just...surplus.

And it is possible, guys, where you have a saving in your bank because God is giving you a surplus.

Not because you're penny-pinching. Please understand, this might go greatly against the grain

of the way my parents lived, your parents lived, I have lived, you have lived.

And I understand that. And if it chaps, so be it. Apply some powder.

But the point is that the Bible talks about a surplus and not about saving.

Your saving then is your surplus.

For what?

Where? Show me. Feel free to question and challenge.

Because I would like to know.

Yeah, but there it was specifically where God told him, listen, there's a famine coming and so do it.

I'm talking about living life in general. We never think in terms of surplus.

We always think in terms of savings.

We don't think in terms of surplus.

So you would think given how we are trained to think.

So we think given how we are trained to think.

Saving for a rainy day is a concept that does not exist in the Bible.

So here is again a mind shift where we move from the word saving to the word surplus.

Now you can call, now the bank may call it a saving account.

I'd suggest that in your mind you begin calling it a surplus account.

Yeah, and even when you eat it up and give it out, you never lack because there is a surplus.

Surplus.

When you, sorry go ahead Joan.

It's so that you can keep giving away.

Because it is impossible to defeat the fundamental principle of seed time and harvest.

So I, in all sincerity, and I'm assuming I'll be around in Acts 29 for a while,

I expect to have a surplus for the rest of my life.

Thank you brother.

So we got to move from the mindset of saving to the mindset of surplus.

Because this is how God is. It's a shift.

Because Paul, this doesn't mean that, please understand, we're not talking about wealth in the bank.

Paul said I know how to be contented, little and contented, lot.

But Paul, Jesus, everybody knew how to live by the surplus.

Surplus can be one dollar more than you need or a million dollars more than you need.

Everyone's thinking of the million.

If you always have one more dollar than you need, you don't have to worry about whether it's a million.

Yeah.

Like the whole plane.

Yeah. There you go.

So what about saving? Bible talks about surplus, not about saving.

A surplus is a result of sowing.

Remember what the woman at Zarifat did.

She took her jar of flour and she took a little bit of oil and she sowed it into the God sent man Elijah.

And she had a surplus.

So one of the ways surplus happens is through sowing.

Psalm 112 verses 9 talks about it too.

Psalms 112:9

Another way that surplus happens is through obedience.

Deuteronomy 28 verse 12.

Deuteronomy 28:12

If you harken to these commands and follow them and do them, then I will do this, this, this, this.

Your barns will be full, your vats will not be empty, your cupboards will be full, your house will be full.

And you will have a surplus.

So you will have a surplus.

Then I will do this, this, this, this.

Your barns will be full, your vats will not be empty, your cupboards will be full.

I will bless the work of your hands.

You shall have a surplus.

You shall not borrow, but you shall lend.

Obedience.

And a third important factor in walking in surplus is diligence.

Diligence.

Proverbs chapter 6 verse 6.

Proverbs 6:6

Look at the ant who is not lazy.

Proverbs 10-4.

All those scriptures are given about.

Proverbs 10-4 says something again to the effect that a lazy man will not eat, but a man who is diligent.

Yeah.

Oh, you don't have the reference?

Okay.

It's 1 Kings 17, 10-4.

That's a story about the woman from Zarifat.

1 Kings 17, 10-4.

10-14.

1 Kings 17, 10-14.

The second one is Psalm 112, 9.

Both of them have to do with sowing.

1 Kings 17, 10-14.

Psalm 112, 9.

Then when it comes to obedience, it's Deuteronomy 28, 12.

And when it comes to diligence, it is Proverbs 6, 6 and 10-4.

Thanks.

Any questions?

Okay.

Moving on to the next bit then.

Bread and seed.

Guys, you never sow bread or fruit.

You sow seed.

You never sow bread.

You never sow fruit.

You sow seed.

And a seed in the Greek is sperma.

A seed is something that has within it the ability to produce plants and fruit.

A seed is something that has within it the ability to plant, the ability to produce future plants and fruit.

Future plants and fruit.

And you never sow bread.

You never sow fruit.

You sow seed.

So now let's apply 1 Corinthians 16, 2.

Let's apply 1 Corinthians 16, 2.

And here's what 1 Corinthians 16, 2 says.

It says, guys, in the beginning of the week or the month or whenever you're paid, set aside that which you want to give to the church.

That's what it says in 1 Corinthians 16, 2.

So let's elaborate that a little more.

Guys, at the beginning of the month, at the beginning of the week or whenever you get paid, I'd suggest to you divide your money into bread and into seed.

Do you hear me?

Divide your money into bread and into seed.

Bread is for consumption and eating.

Seed is for sowing.

So try practicing this.

When you get your monies, whenever, decide intentionally without guilt, without obligation, without necessity, without compulsion.

Decide, I've got 100 bucks.

I'm going to use 98 for bread and $2 for seed.

Or decide that you are going to use $40 for bread and $60 for seed.

Do it according to the decision that you make with your heart.

Divide it into bread and seed.

And then, bread is for consumption, seed is for sowing.

You know, for far too long, and look at this, guys, look at the mind shift we need here.

For far too long, we've been working for bread.

We've got to be working for seed.

That's the secret.

We are working for bread.

When we work, we think, oh, got to meet this friend, got to meet that friend, got to meet...

We are working for bread.

But all along, God has wanted us to work for seed.

He established us ages ago.

Genesis chapter 1, verse 11.

Genesis 1:11

What did he do?

He created herbs and trees that were seed bearing.

I mean, read it in Genesis 1, 11.

1, 11, I think.

Then God said, let the land produce vegetation, seed bearing plants and trees on the land,

and that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.

The land produce vegetation, plants bearing seed, according to their kinds,

and the fruit bearing seeds, according to their kinds.

And the trees bearing fruit with seed, according to their kinds, and God saw that it was good.

And then go to Genesis 47, 19.

Genesis 47, 19.

Genesis 47, 19.

Everything okay, Joan?

It's just that we smoke.

Cigarette smoke.

Oh, then someone knows we're trying to smoke in secret.

And just for the sake of the CD, it's not from Acts 29.

Genesis 47.

It's just a group downstairs looking for Genesis.

Okay.

Genesis 47, 19.

I still don't smell it, but that's fine.

Genesis 47, 19.

Why should we perish before your eyes?

Jacob's, Joseph's brother's asking.

We and our land as well.

Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.

Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.

Guys, God knew how precious seed is.

And the whole, here is another mind shift that we have to make.

We are not going to be working for our bread anymore.

We are going to understand that we work for seed.

Because it is seed that produces bread and more seed.

So we've got to make this mind shift.

We've got to work for seed, not bread.

Bread is for eating, seed is for sowing.

Seed when it's sown produces more bread.

It produces more seed.

This is how it works.

How does it look?

Now I'm excited about work because, I mean I'm excited about work regardless, but I'm saying, man I can smell it too.

I'm excited about work because I suddenly realized that my wages are no longer going to be bread.

My wages now have the added potential, the added life of seed in it.

It is not bread that I will consume and go into my stomach and go out the next day.

No, no, no, no, no.

Now what I earn is seed.

I have within me, I have in my hand now the ability to produce more bread and more seed.

And we'll talk about what we use seed for.

But it's a mind shift guys.

You know that saving is just questions that are supposed to be seed.

Which is my next point.

Guys, even after we have decided how much seed we want to sow, release it because it's very hard to release.

This message is very nice to pump us up, but it is another thing to actually practice it.

Because it is one thing to say, okay, this is for bread and this is for seed.

But after we get that seed, it's still hard to release.

Because what if you could change that into bread?

You don't want to release the seed.

You want to hold on to it.

I have held back seed quite a few times.

I know people have held back seed that they have said they would pour into my life.

They haven't. Why?

Because the seed suddenly became bread.

Because of fear.

And therefore, now that I have the seed I want to release, I need willingness and faith to release it.

Willingness and faith.

Because trust me, money is the only thing that humans think they have earned by their own toil.

They can't do that with air.

Didn't do anything to produce it.

Can't do that with water.

Can't do that with most things.

Can't do that with your children.

Can't do that with your wife.

But the one thing that you think you have absolute ownership over is the vagus of the toil of your brow.

Therefore, there is a degree of ownership that is intense and therefore it is hard to release.

As a farmer, they don't eat the seed even though they don't have bread.

They will never eat the seed because they have to sow.

Just imagine that.

A farmer will not eat what he has set aside as seed because he knows how foolish that would be.

If necessary, he will go and ask someone else for bread, but he will never take up the seed.

You know when they plant vineyards, you know how precious a root of the vine is?

I mean, they got it like the crown jewels.

When fires come, these owners of vineyards run not to save the plant.

They don't care if the grapes burn.

They do care, but they're not so worried about the grapes burning.

They want to get the fire done before it destroys the roots because in the root lies more bread, more wine, more bread, more wine.

People in the world know this.

We got to know it now.

We got to know it.

And once you release the seed, guys, as soon as you release the seed, it destroys the love of money.

John 12, 24, Jesus said, as soon as a grain of wheat hits the ground and dies.

It's literally that principle.

When I release the seed I've set aside, the love of money that I have takes a depth blow.

Because I've released it, I'm not holding it back.

I have decided that this is going to be seed.

This is going to be bread.

Church, we have to practice this.

I do not know whether we will practice it, but you will not be able to claim the Fifth Amendment.

So releasing the seed destroys the love of money and it builds dependence on God.

It builds dependence on God.

And you can stand on his word, Isaiah 55, 10, as the rain and the snow come and pour upon the earth.

And then you know what it says?

Providing bread for the eater and seed for the sewer.

Isaiah 55, 10, said it there.

Isaiah 55, 10, said it there.

I know it's in the context of, that shall be my word that goes forth and does not come back, void.

But he starts off with, just as the rain and snow come and water the earth,

and it brings forth bread for the eater and seed for the sewer.

Isaiah 55, 10.

God will multiply it, guys.

You are planting the seed, and it is true, and you will reap harvest.

Huge, yeah.

And guys, this is how God will supply all our needs according to his riches.

The key is sowing.

Let me say that again.

We quote that scripture often, Philippians 4, 19.

And my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches and glory.

But we do not look at the verses on top, and you'll see how connected it is to sowing.

Turn to Philippians 4.

It's fascinating what I don't know.

Philippians 4.

It's fascinating what I don't know for 17 years.

Philippians 4, 14 onwards.

Philippians 4, 14 onwards.

Philippians 4, 14.

And here's what it says.

Yet it was good for you to share in my troubles.

Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel,

when I set out for Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving,

or for, as you said, sowing and reaping, except you only.

For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Not that I'm looking for a gift, but I'm looking for what may be credited to your account.

I have received full payment and even more.

I'm amply supplied now that I have received from Epiphroth, it is the gifts you sent.

They are a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God.

And my God will meet all your needs, according to the riches of Glorion Christ.

The principles preceding this verse that we quote so often is, again,

the whole principle of giving and receiving, or to use our terminology for today, sowing and reaping.

And just so you know, guys, the word God uses for multiplying is this fascinating theatrical word in Greek called

koregio, C-H-O-R-E-G-E-O.

Koregio means, sometimes when you had a theatrical company after a show,

you would furnish food for the entire chorus.

So it would be like what James has done, like what Sue has done, like what Uma is going to do,

where you supply for the entire chorus.

You don't pick up the main singers and say, okay, I'll feed two of the chorus.

No, you feed the entire chorus.

And the word God uses for I will supply is I will feed the entire chorus line.

Koregio.

It's a beautiful word.

So in his supply, it's not going to be penny-pinching.

So at the end of the day, I'd suggest when it comes to sowing, first ask the Holy Spirit to direct you.

Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you, because I'm going to play on the

name that he calls himself.

He's the Lord of the Harvest.

But it's in a completely different context that's used.

But the Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Harvest.

So if I were to play on that, you ask the Holy Spirit, ask the Holy Spirit to direct your sowing,

to direct your sowing, to direct your sowing.

Next, you respond.

You let your generosity respond.

You let your generosity respond.

You let your generosity respond.

You let your generosity respond.

Next, let your hands sow.

Next, let your heart water the ground.

And we'll talk about that later.

Let your heart water the ground.

Next, let the earth produce.

Next, let your soul reap abundantly.

Let your soul reap abundantly.

And then you go back all the way to the start, and you say, okay, Holy Spirit, I'll reap.

And then I ask the Holy Spirit, please direct my sowing.

And then you go, let your generosity respond.

As the Holy Spirit directs you, your generosity will respond or not respond.

You may have the faith for it and the willingness or may not have it.

That's something you can cultivate.

Let your hands sow it, release it.

Let your heart water it.

We'll talk about that.

Let the earth produce.

If it takes nine months, so be it.

If it takes nine years, so be it.

But it will produce.

A farmer doesn't go every day and look at the seed.

Done it. Where are you?

I planted it yesterday.

Come out. Come out in the name of Jesus Christ.

No, doesn't work.

That blooming seed will stay there till it wants to bloom.

And then let your soul reap abundantly.

Many do that.

We do that.

We do that.

We're in a hurry.

So we pull it out and then we wonder why it hasn't grown in the given time.

So this is how we work it.

It took 30 years of prayer until the fruit was born.

The results were born.

And because I'm a gardener, I know that.

Like the radishes, they grow up in three days.

But partly it takes leaves and greens to bring the color to come out.

The Lord taught me that because I'm a gardener, a part,

so He teaches me in a spiritual way, the gardening tools.

Yep.

That's why I like fast food.

You just go up to the window.

You speak into a round thing and say, Junior Whopper with cheese, no pickles.

And you drive just about.

And there it is.

It's instant.

Pardon?

Impatience kills your harvest.

So on that note, let's go to hindrances of the harvest.

You OK, Joan?

Is it the smoke?

Is it the smoke?

OK.

OK.

OK.

OK.

Hindrances to harvest.

Guys, when you sow, we said we will reap and we will harvest.

But there can be hindrances to harvest that affect the output of the harvest.

And here are some of the hindrances.

If you are a Buddhist, if you are a Muslim, if you were anything,

but a Christian, this would not affect you.

But if you're a Christian, then your lifestyle affects your harvest.

If you're a Christian, your lifestyle affects your harvest.

Your rebellion will affect your harvest.

Your disobedience will affect your harvest.

Your unforgiveness will affect your harvest.

We've talked about this.

But just as one cannot be, and I'm going to say this,

a homosexual and a passionate believer,

so you can't be unforgiving and a passionate believer.

Unforgiveness is an essential part of being a Christian.

I cannot be an unforgiving Christian.

It's oxymoron.

So unforgiveness, rebellion, disobedience,

will affect your harvest, will affect your harvest.

Just as righteousness will bless your harvest.

Many scriptures, Psalm 112 you read,

it will talk about how a righteous man will be blessed.

And it's talking about wealth and blessings.

Other places where it talks about it is in Isaiah 310.

Also talks about how righteousness,

which is practicing God's moral standards,

is a very important part of being a Christian.

So we're talking about how righteousness,

which is practicing God's moral standards,

will bless you in terms of a harvest of resources.

And I'm talking about harvest right now.

We are only talking about economy as in resources.

We are not talking about other sources of sowing and reaping.

So your lifestyle affects your harvest.

A rebellious, disobedient, unforgiving lifestyle.

And by rebellious I cover a whole lot of things that are habitual.

Will affect your harvest.

Just as righteousness or right walk and moral standards of God in your life

will bless your harvest.

If you were any other religion it wouldn't matter.

But as a Christian, you set yourself up.

Secondly, the type of ground you sow in affects your harvest.

The type of ground that you sow in unfortunately affects your harvest.

If you sow into bottomless pits,

what do I mean by bottomless pits?

If you sow into people who don't give,

if you sow into people who don't give,

and you keep sowing into people who don't give,

eventually guys, you should stop because that is ground,

that is a bottomless pit.

Your harvest will not come.

Proverbs 11.24 I think talks about it.

Actually we should read Proverbs 11.24 onwards.

There's quite a few things about giving.

Pardon?

Yeah, it just keeps sucking, sucking, sucking.

Nothing is given.

Like I said, this is about resources and economy,

so I wouldn't go to other areas right now.

Because no one knows the heart of man when it comes to prayer.

It might take many years.

Look how long it took you and me.

Proverbs 11.23 onwards.

Proverbs 11.23 onwards.

The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

One man gives freely yet gains even more.

Another withholds unduly but comes to poverty.

Bottomless pits are people that you can keep giving to,

but they don't give themselves.

So you're throwing money into a pit,

and they never sow, so they will never reap.

So your sowing is now into a bottomless pit.

Yeah, unless the Lord tells you to give.

But I'm saying these are hindrances.

Yeah, these are hindrances.

Because I was listening to a testimony of a doctor

who said that when people would come to him

and they would ask him,

could you either treat us free

or could you put us on an account payment,

the first question he would ask,

because he was a believer, was, do you tithe?

And they would say,

what does tithing have to do with the money?

And he would say,

what does tithing have to do with you treating us?

And he said, do you tithe?

And they'd say, not really.

He said, well, then if you rob God,

how can I be sure that you won't rob me?

You pay up now and I'll treat you, otherwise I won't.

He said, if you have the guts to rob God,

then what will stop you from robbing me?

So he said he's given a lot away free,

but he said he would only give it free

because he knew that the person was a giver.

Not that you're promoting tithing.

No, not that I'm promoting tithing.

An interesting point.

In this or that?

Proverbs 11, 24.

One man gives freely, yet gains even more.

Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous man will prosper.

He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

People curse the man who hoards grain,

but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

He who seeks good finds good,

but evil comes to him who searches for it.

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Okay, so the other place we shouldn't sow into is shallow ground.

Don't sow into rocky or shallow ground.

Guys, don't sow into rocky or shallow ministries.

Don't sow into shallow ministries.

Shallow ministries are ministries that have a lot of jazz and flash

on stage and television,

but in terms of actual substance it is shallow.

Don't sow into them.

It's not that you won't be blessed.

It is that it is not an optimal harvest.

A farmer will not sow into shallow ground.

He won't sow into a bottomless pit.

His seed is precious.

He will starve to keep the seed alive.

And so he will use this seed.

Seed is precious guys.

Understand, we need to understand that.

I need to understand that.

What I set apart as seed is precious.

It's precious.

It's very important.

It's not to be fooled around with.

Thirdly, don't sow into infested ground.

Infested ground is carnal ground.

Carnal ground.

Infested ground is carnal ground.

Carnal ground is ground where you're sowing into a ministry

or a person or a church that lives carnaly.

That lives carnaly.

Don't.

Carnal is sinful.

Don't sow into infested ground

because it will not bear a harvest for the person.

Isn't that potentially leading to thinking and choosing

who is going to get to these poor people

because they're poor?

If you noticed, the word poor didn't come up.

And secondly, Matt, a poor man can give out of his poverty.

We talked about that last week.

No, but I mean like if you don't sow into infested ground,

don't give to people who are either going to plant their own seeds.

Like if you go downtown Eastside and you could say,

well, they're going to get the money and why give them food?

Why not give it to immigrants that are trying to get a job, right?

So then...

Okay, good question.

I'd say the first principle is ask the Holy Spirit to direct your giving.

But if I...many of...

What I'm saying matters more where we are giving

in situations where God hasn't directed us,

but we keep giving into it because we made one donation long ago.

And the letters keep coming and we keep giving.

We know the character of the person.

We know the character of the organization, the church.

We know sometimes it's infested.

Sometimes we know it's shallow, but we will keep giving there.

There is a degree of loyalty.

There's a partnership.

It becomes...yeah.

There is so much giving in Christianity today

that is into infested ground, that is into rocky ground.

If God directs, I'd say to you that

when He directs you to pour into a bottomless pit,

it is because He knows that that bottomless pit is going to

soon develop a bottom and come out right.

Or He may still ask you to give into a bottomless pit.

But the reason I'm talking about these grounds

is because so much money in Christendom today

is going into shallow, shallow ground

so that you can get a plaque in an aircraft

that the person flies around the world.

I mean, how ridiculous can it get?

And many times it's emotional giving.

Yeah, so much of it is impulsive emotional giving.

Other ground I would suggest you don't sow into

is farasacal or self-serving ministries.

Farasacal or farasy-like self-serving ministries

where all the money...

Should I repeat anything?

The other ground that you should not sow into

is farasacal ground.

That is ground that is self-serving.

Matt, can you turn me the volume up a little more?

Farasacal serving or farasy-like...

Farasy-like ground where it's self-serving.

Lots of ministries like that.

Growing on the back of widows and the poor.

Too many.

Empires built on the back of people.

I'm not going to give examples, though.

I know some ministries like that

where the money comes in and the money doesn't go out.

The money just keeps building houses and...

They don't target the poor.

No, they don't target the poor.

There's a loyalty that comes and people just give.

And they are promised a hundred million things

right from your children will get saved

to your breakthrough will come tomorrow

to send us this much money and you will be healed the day after.

It's a perversion of everything that God is in terms of giving.

I fear for them.

Another hindrance to harvest, guys.

The volume of your seed affects your harvest.

The volume of your seed...

Thanks, Matt.

The volume of your seed affects your harvest.

It goes back to what Gisela was saying.

Sow sparingly, reap sparingly.

The volume of your seed affects your harvest.

The less seed you sow, the less you reap,

the less bread you have, and the less seed you have.

Imagine that, guys.

The less seed you sow.

When we decide that we are not going to sow much,

you know what our thinking is?

Now I will have more for consumption and bread and eating.

But you may have more that month.

But the less seed you sow, the less you reap,

the less the bread the next time around,

and the less the seed for next planting.

Yep.

Different ways.

This is why, guys, tithing can be limiting.

Do you see now why tithing doesn't work?

Tithing makes it a standard practice for the farmer

that regardless of how much you get,

make sure that you only sow 10%.

What a shame.

The volume of your seed affects your harvest.

Therefore, if we stick to 10%,

you will always get a harvest only for the 10.

It is limiting.

It is not wrong, but it is limiting.

No.

No.

Here's another thing that affects your harvest.

Reluctant sowing affects the quality of the seed.

Reluctant sowing affects the quality of the seed.

Reluctant sowing affects the quality of the seed.

You know why?

That's...

Sorry?

Yeah.

And you see, if this is seed,

and if I'm tight-fisted,

you should see what happens to the seed after a while.

Gets damaged.

Damaged seed does not produce high-yield crops.

Reluctant giving damages the seed,

and therefore the quality of the seed is destroyed.

May not be even any crop,

because the seed is damaged.

This is why I would rather that we give $2 tearfully

than $20 reluctantly.

Because you will get less from $20 given reluctantly

than you will get from $20 given reluctantly.

Than $2 given tearfully.

Next principle.

When the seed becomes more important than God,

harvest is affected.

And I'll give you examples.

When the seed becomes more important than God,

the supplier,

when the seed becomes more important than God,

then the harvest gets affected.

How does that happen?

That usually happens out of

impulsive, pride-motivated

giving.

Or giving that trust in its plenty.

Giving that is proud.

Giving that is

so that you get a name for yourself.

That kind of giving

is an ugly kind of giving.

And when your seed becomes more important than God,

then your harvest goes

really rotten.

Acts chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.

Acts 5:1

And then there was a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira.

And they decided that they would sell their land

and they got a certain amount of money.

And they decided that they would bring their money

and lay it in front of the apostles' feet.

But before they did,

they took away a part of it and brought it and laid it there.

Their giving, their seed became more important than the God they served.

They wanted to be known

in the church as ones who sold

what they had and brought all of it to the

church.

They wanted to be known for their giving.

And you saw what happened.

Pardon?

Vanity. Pride.

Pride is a better word.

Vanity somehow still makes it sound acceptable.

Pride, impulsive, benefactor-like sowing.

Because I have my...

One of the things that I've seen happen in my life is when I have plenty,

I'm an impulsive sower.

And that's not good.

Holy Spirit should direct my sowing.

I don't want to be an impulsive sower.

A farmer is very determined.

He sows in furrows.

He doesn't scatter.

When you scatter, you get a quarter of your returns,

as with the sower parable.

Next, timing.

Guys, when giving is delayed,

your harvest is affected.

When giving is delayed, your harvest is affected because

your season is missed.

Your season is missed.

In Ecclesiastes 11, verses 3 to 6, it says this.

Ecclesiastes 11:3–6

It says,

You are the harvest of the harvest.

You are the harvest of the harvest.

You are the harvest of the harvest.

It says this.

It says,

Do not look at the clouds to see whether it's going to rain.

Do not look at the winds to see if the conditions are right.

Do not go and look at a tree and say,

If I chop it down, where will it fall? This way or that way?

Do not wait till all the conditions are right.

Set your heart to do something and go do it.

And let what needs to happen take care of itself.

Very often we delay our sowing because not all the conditions are right.

But this month I'm not going to sow because such and such a thing happened.

That person came and then it just happened.

You know what happened?

So I'll sow it next month.

No!

No!

Sow in time because once the season is passed,

you'll have to wait for the next season before that crop will.

So, do you get corn right now?

No.

Also, in the natural world, if you delay a season,

it will not be as potent as if it has been there in the right season.

Got to sow in the right season.

Meaning, when you have decided you're going to release a seed, release it.

I had to speak to someone yesterday who had told me that they would release seed and hadn't.

And it was money that was collected to release to me.

And so yesterday I told the person,

Listen, I do not need the money.

I do not need the money.

But I need to tell you that you have collected it to be given to me

and that was what you said.

And it's been three and a half months now.

For your own sake, release it.

As you go into 2010, let that not be something that...

And the guy said, I'm so sorry.

You're so right and thank you for telling me and correcting me.

It's not a large amount.

So relatively small amounts and it's a principle.

The other thing is guys, like Wayne was saying,

can't pull out a crop before harvest time either.

It causes you to miss the harvest.

Causes you to miss the harvest.

Timing in terms of waiting for the harvest, there's nothing you can do to hurry your reaping.

It will come when the supplier from above says it's time.

It will not come a second before that.

No point pulling the crop out and looking at it like Wendy used to.

It will have to stay in the ground till it bears fruit.

There's nothing you can do.

I mean, I heard this crazy story about a man who had sown

and he was waiting to reap in a church.

And one day another man in the church feels like he needs to give about $21,000 to this guy.

And so he comes to church with this $21,000 and the guy is not there.

So he goes up to the pastor and the pastor says,

Oh, I got a letter from him.

And in the letter the guy had written,

I've been waiting on God to bless me and I have been a faithful sower

and God has not honored my sowing.

And this letter is to just let you know that I'm leaving the church

and I do not want to be part of this church anymore.

And he didn't turn up in church.

Here was this man waiting with $21,000 and he was waiting for the harvest.

He was waiting with $21,000 because the Lord had told him that you need to go give this guy.

And the guy had sent a letter of resignation.

So many of us quit the harvest before it is time.

I've heard of women running down the hospital maternity ward saying

that I don't want to give birth or I want to give birth now.

The thing is, there's nothing you can do about it.

I'm glad I'm a man.

But that's a whole different thing.

Here's another principle that is very important guys.

And I suggest to you that we don't do this.

If you don't irrigate the fields you've sown in with the water of declaration and prayer,

when you sow into lives, when you sow into people, when you sow into situations,

when you sow into a house,

if you don't irrigate the field that you've sown into with the water of declarations of prayer,

then your harvest may not be as healthy or as abundant as it should be.

What does the scripture say?

The Bible is literally like that. I'll tell you why.

Guys, this is why there are times when you may come and give me $20.

I remember a time when I was leaving for a trip.

I met Maurice at McDonald's and Maurice pulled out an envelope and in the envelope $150

and he gave me the $150 and I received the $150

and Maurice wanted to keep talking about other things and I said,

Maurice, I said, wait.

And then I said, Maurice, I received it.

And then after I received it, I began to bless him back

and Maurice was saying, but it's only a small amount.

It's not a large amount. It's only a small amount.

It didn't matter whether there was $5,000 there or $50 there.

It was important that one, I receive it into this ground with blessing

and that I bless back his harvest.

We don't often do this, guys.

So it doesn't matter whether it's $2 or not.

Some of you have given envelopes that I go home and find out there is money in it

and you have no idea how I stand and face towards your house

and I hope I'm facing the right way.

It doesn't matter because I only know where Richmond is

and I speak out and declare blessings on you from my balcony

because one, I bless this ground that has been sown into

and then I stand and bless your harvest.

Vital that we irrigate the ground.

This was a common practice in the Bible.

When the priest would, when things would be brought before the priest,

they would wave it before God.

Harvest would be blessed.

There were prayers for blessings of harvest.

We got to do this.

When you give into this house, you got to bless the ground that is being given into.

Water it with declarations.

Say thank you also, but then water it.

That is why be $20 or $20,000.

You have to declare when you give and when you receive

what is sown by you or into your life.

Last two bits.

Attacking poverty in the house through sowing.

Attacking poverty in the house through sowing.

Guys, there are many different reasons why Christians are poor.

Sometimes Christians are poor, especially in the New Testament,

you find poverty among Christians because of persecution.

Sometimes Christians are poor because of family background, family responsibilities.

Sometimes Christians are poor because of tragic financial events that have happened to them

that is sometimes not their fault, like the woman whose two sons were being taken into

bondage because the husband had died and left a large debt.

Sometimes poverty can be because of foolish spending or a lifestyle or a lack of a job

or some other circumstances.

I have been poor. I have been so poor it was crazy.

It was not because of persecution.

It was mostly because of not being responsible and because of being foolish in my spending.

And occasionally because of a lack of a job.

But why am I saying this? Because on one hand to equate poverty with unrighteousness or sinfulness is ridiculous.

Just as you cannot equate wealth with righteousness.

You have many fat cats who are wealthy and corrupt.

Just as you have many poor who are not wealthy and corrupt.

But the point I need to make is poverty should never find legitimacy within the house.

Poverty should never find legitimacy within the house.

Is that word, legitimacy?

Legitimacy.

Poverty should never find legitimacy within the house.

Because if it does it is demonic and it has to be attacked.

There are churches that exalt poverty.

And I would suggest to you that it is one thing to help poor which is fine.

But when you legitimize poverty as something that a house should be comfortable about.

I would like to say it is demonic and it needs to be attacked.

How do we attack it? Not by rebuking demons.

We attack it by cheating and sowing.

Some things are not, some demons don't have to be rebuked.

Some demons just will leave or some systems will be dismantled when we do what is necessary.

We need to attack it through sowing and through sowing and teaching.

Teaching as in what we are doing now. Sowing as in giving to each other.

If you read Acts chapter 2, verse 44, Acts 2, 44.

Acts 2:44

Acts 2, 44.

Let me turn to that.

You have been very attentive today. I have looked at your faces and checked to see if you are sleeping and you haven't.

And I am blessed by your attentiveness.

Acts 2, 44.

It says there, or 43, 44.

All the believers were together and had...

Oh shucks, okay. Sorry, I checked the hockey score by mistake.

No, no, no. I was actually trying to open the message bible, but it opened to the hockey score.

It's 3-1 second period, the blues are winning.

Sorry about that. The Lord knows that I am being honest.

Okay.

And all that went on the CD also.

Acts 2, 44 says, all the believers were together and had everything in common.

Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need.

Now listen to Acts 4, 32 onwards. I will just read it as I have it here.

The whole congregation of believers, I am reading from the message.

The whole congregation of believers was united as one. One heart, one mind.

They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions.

No one said, that's mine, you can't have it.

They shared everything.

The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus and grace was on all of them.

And it turned out that not a person among them was needy.

Those who owned fields or houses, sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it.

The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need.

Seems so radical, eh?

Acts 4, 32-34 says, every now and then they would go and sell.

From time to time, those who owned lands or houses, sold them.

Brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet.

So radical, we want to almost avoid it if we can.

And yet, I mean I used to explain it away as, oh these believers were thinking the Lord was coming soon.

So they were willing to sell everything away because they were going anywhere and didn't need it.

I find that now as the justification for not doing it.

I'm not, we cannot mandate this.

But what I'm suggesting to this house in terms of attacking poverty in the house and in lives around us is

guys, wherever you sense there is a need in this house, you don't have to necessarily go to the church.

If you feel there is a need, you can go straight up and help the person out.

We can do it within the house.

This house does help every now and then when we see a need that is required.

But I'm saying to you that in the concept of the house, if you see a need, go give anonymously or go give straight up.

Go give.

Because this way the needs within the house are taken care of.

And so, again, I'm not being impulsive right now.

We'll do something very simple.

This is very intentional.

I had a lot of time to think about it.

Whenever you feel like you need to give to someone in the house and you do not know who and the Lord directs you,

come and throw money into this box.

It won't be receipted.

You won't get a charitable receipt for it.

But if you feel there is a need and then the house will distribute it, because I was thinking,

do people just come and dip their hands into the box?

But then when I read the scriptures, it says the house will take care of it.

So let's begin.

I'm not asking anyone else to do it.

I'm doing it very intentionally.

That is for anyone in this house who has a need.

And as needs develop, we will...

Let's go this way.

Is there anyone in this house right now who is not employed?

Or needs a job?

Needs a job.

Needs a job.

Needs a job.

Anyone needs a job?

Need a regular job.

Anyone else?

Wendy, anyone else?

Okay.

So let's begin right away.

Wendy, bless you.

May you prosper with this.

May it increase as we sow into your lives.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

So we should give as in like...

You know what?

I never bring my wallet to church.

And today I did.

Guys, this is not mandated.

Do not be impulsive.

No, I'm not talking about you.

Sorry.

Yeah, I'm so sorry.

Chris, give me one sec.

I'll let you share it.

Guys, what I did was not impulsive.

It was not impulsive.

I thought of it carefully.

And I do it intentionally.

So this is not emotional.

It is not impulsive.

Chris didn't do it emotionally either.

She'll explain why.

So please understand that.

But the point is that you can go straight up to a person if you think there is a need

and deal with it.

Go ahead, Chris.

You wanted to say something.

I thought I should get some cash before the weekend to leave a bank at church.

And I didn't end up needing to spend any money this weekend.

And just as I was coming up the stairs, I thought, oh, I have my wallet.

And I said to the Lord, whatever you took as a withdrawal, I want you to give that to

the benevolent.

There you go.

Anyone else needs?

I never have that purse with me.

Today you brought your purse.

Why don't you do that?

What's your name?

Anyone else has a need?

Valentina.

Valentina.

Praise God, man.

May you be blessed, Valentina, with this money.

May you be blessed.

And we've got some more.

I know you do not present.

You just lost your job.

George, may you be blessed.

So shall we go ahead?

It came to me recently.

Yeah.

Like whatever happened to the grocery boxes we had because people within the school, they

know, particularly at Christmas, need more than they, you know, what happened about that?

Did it just dissipate and nobody would open the store?

No, I actually saw a box full of stuff lying there, which I was going to deal with after.

But we had one.

Yeah.

People wanted to win stuff.

Yeah.

They could do that.

People could take it if they needed it.

Yeah.

And we will reconsider.

We're meeting on Wednesday and we'll be talking about it.

Thanks for bringing it up because I had forgotten about that.

Oh, no.

I just reminded of that.

So this is a bit of an opportunity to mention that.

Yeah.

Guys, let me put it this way.

This box will be somewhere here.

Whenever you think God is directing you, put whatever it is in it and we'll give it away.

Yeah.

This is how your plenty will supply my lack and how my lack and how when I have my plenty

will supply your lack.

You have no idea.

You know who you are.

How many of you have supplied my lack in this house?

You know.

I mean, when I came back from the last trip, I was told by places that I went to that they

would give me $4,300 towards my travel.

And I come back and they had forgotten.

And I was thinking, what do I do, Father?

My date for payment of tickets.

And then someone comes up, gives me an envelope and in the envelope was a thousand bucks.

And then someone else came out of the blue because I didn't mention anything.

And suddenly it was paid.

And after it was paid, this person sent the money that was due.

And suddenly there's an excess.

There's no saving this surplus.

Guys, your plenty has supplied my lack so many times.

So now may my plenty supply your lack.

This is how it works.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that is when anonymously you give.

You give anonymously.

Today I was thinking when I was going to do what I was doing that, Father, should I even

look into my wallet to see how much there is?

Because I don't want to.

I just want to empty whatever is there in the wallet.

I want to let the Lord say, no, I want you to be intentionally sewing today, given what

you're teaching.

So look what is in there and then throw it all in.

This is a token.

It's a token action.

But guys, these are principles we are establishing so that we can move further with this.

The last bit we'll deal with and then we're done.

Harvest of righteousness and thanksgiving.

2 Corinthians 9 and 11, which is what we should have started with.

If you just want to turn there, we'll end with it.

2 Corinthians 9 and 11.

2 Corinthians 9 and 11.

9, 6 onwards.

6 to, let's see, 6 onwards.

Remember this.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.

So Paul uses the word sow.

And whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under

compulsion.

The love of the Lord is not in the love of the Lord.

It's in the love of the Lord, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things, at all times, having

all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Does that not smell of surplus?

As it is written, he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures

forever.

will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion

and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people

but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves,

men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ

and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

So we'll end with what do you mean by harvest of righteousness and thanksgiving?

Can I ask a question before we do that?

So all of this teaching is it mainly in terms of sowing into believers in the body?

Because this passage looks deliberately best.

Yeah, this passage is about deliberately sowing.

But I would say this is mainly about seed.

And once we divide the seed we can go all those six or seven ways we talked about last time in terms of our sowing.

So, harvest of righteousness and thanksgiving.

Guys, 2 Corinthians 9, 11, we read that it says that this kind of sowing will result in a harvest of righteousness.

How?

Basically, sowing leads to increased kindness.

Sowing, when you sow your seed into so many different ways we talked about.

When you sow your seed, it always leads to increased kindness, active goodness, increased generosity.

Basically, you suddenly begin to take on, as Eugene Peterson says, robust, full-formed lives.

That's what he says.

When you sow your seed, there is an increase in your kindness, there is an increase in your goodness, an increase in your generosity,

and your lives begin to form into full, robust lives.

Guys, all these characters, goodness, kindness and generosity, is part of the harvest of righteousness.

Or the moral nature or character of God.

Moses said, show me your glory, God said, I will show you my goodness.

It is impossible to take seed of righteousness.

So, what we are saying is that sowing is not just sowing, but sowing is sowing.

Moses said, show me your glory, God said, I will show you my goodness.

It is impossible to take seed and sow and not increase in your kindness, not increase in your generosity, not increase in your goodness.

And goodness, kindness, generosity, is part of the moral nature of God.

When you begin to walk in it, you are walking in the rightness or the moral nature or the righteousness of God.

You begin to cultivate a harvest of righteousness.

Not only that, you cultivate more seed.

And when you cultivate more seed, you have more bread and you have more seed.

And so you get even kinder, you get even more active in your goodness, you increase in your generosity,

and you keep going, you keep going, you keep going, you keep going till you fall on Marcus.

More seed is added to you so that you have all you need to abound in good work.

Why do you think you will abound in good work?

Because you got more seed, not because you got more bread.

You got more seed.

Seed can be cash and non-cash by the way.

You got more seed.

And so now when you got more seed, you can abound in more good work.

Always.

Always.

Last point.

Sowing generously results in, sowing generously, when you sow generously, it results in these three things guys.

One, let's assume you sow into my life.

When this person sowed a thousand dollars into my life when I was in dire need,

you know the first thing that came out of my mouth?

Aba, I don't know how you did this, but thank you Father.

It was thanksgiving to God.

So the first thing that happens to sowing generously is it results in thanksgiving from those who receive it.

It results in thanksgiving at 1201 725 70th Avenue, Vancouver, my apartment.

It results in thanksgiving in Chennai.

Those two families, Sue and Heidi saw this couple who have been raised from poverty to now having their own livelihood.

Through the little that Acts 29 gave, their lives have been completely revolutionized.

We gave them an old sowing machine and it changed their lives, among other things.

It results in thanksgiving in Kenya, where little kids now have nice Canada t-shirts to wear and they've got food to eat for one whole month, twice a day.

It results in thanksgiving in Jaipur, where this poor pastor got 2500 rupees, which is 50 dollars for us,

but which paid all his rent and other needs for a whole month.

It results in thanksgiving in different parts of the world, man.

So that's the first thing that happens.

Secondly, sowing generously results in a recognition of the genuineness of the Christ life in you.

Sowing generously results in a recognition of the genuineness of the gospel, the genuineness of the Christ life in you.

James 2.15.16 says this, if a guy comes into you and he's cold and he doesn't have clothes, don't bless him.

Give him warm clothes.

That is faith with works.

Otherwise it's faith without works.

Sowing allows the world to recognize the genuineness of the gospel or the genuineness of the Christ life in you.

And thirdly, sowing generously results in a recognition of the genuineness of the gospel, the genuineness of the Christ life in you.

And thirdly, according to what we read in 2 Corinthians 9, sowing results in passionate intercession for you by those who have been blessed.

Sowing results in passionate intercession for you by those who have been blessed.

Passionate intercession for you by those who have been blessed.

The church in Kenya prays for these 30-40 people every week sometimes.

Passionate intercession.

That's what Paul says, that they will realize, oh shucks, James gave.

We will pray that his needs are met.

This is why you irrigate sowing with water.

This is the marvelous message of sowing, guys.

Got to change it here.

I know it requires a little bit of mind shifts, but I'm telling you, stop working for bread, guys.

We're going to work for seed from now on.

Do you think there's anything beyond sowing and reaping?

Anything that you can think of?

Because we'll be dealing with that next week.

There's sowing and reaping, which is a wonderful thing.

Isn't there something where you don't need to sow and reap?

That's your inheritance.

That's your inheritance.

You never have to sow and reap for your inheritance.

This guy will never have to sow and reap to get his inheritance of that $300,000 that we tell him about every week.

Hope you're getting there.

There is something called inheritance that you don't need to sow and reap for.

We'll talk about that next week.

What an anointing for wealth is.

This is not about getting rich.

It is about God having certain purposes for which he will provide like crazy.

We'll deal with that, and then I think we'll kind of be done with the economy at Gilgal,

and we'll move on to something else at Gilgal in the New Year.

This last bit sort of reminded me of the verse in the Bible that says,

I think it's good to those who persecute you because you end up leaving piles of burning coal for your inheritance.

So I think the sowing is not necessarily coffee.

It can also be for your enemies.

Because my brother, when he was younger and he didn't get along,

did something kind to me and it caught me so off guard that it changed the relationship dramatically.

Like it really changed it.

So there's a kind of sowing and reaping to even with your enemies.

Yeah, I didn't think of that.

But true, it blows them away when people who do you harm are blessed.

Jesus talked about that often, bless those who do you harm.

How good is it if you only give or lend to those that will return or give back to you?

So next Saturday we meet it.

Next Sunday we meet it.