The third key aspect of Kingdom Economics we need to look at is giving, and specifically having a lifestyle of deliberately sowing and reaping
Sowing & reaping is about having a lifestyle of giving that has a direct relationship with tithing
Sowing and reaping is about putting seeds in the prepared ground that tithing correctly has provided for you.
Thinking like a farmer
The world of farming and agriculture gives us the best visual example of these two things working together
The farmer prepares the soil
The farmer sows His see.
The farmer waits for the soil to do what it does
The farmer harvests a crop
The farmer takes the best of the crop to sow again to secure ongoing provision, not just a momentary one
It starts with correctly separating the tithe & the seed
The tithe and seed are two separate components working together in unison in God’s plan of caring for and prospering us
Tithe – Tenth of your increase
Seed – That which is given above and beyond the tithe
Unlike the tithe which belongs in the storehouse, this can be given wherever you feel led to give
Some examples of good soil:
Alms – Widows, orphans and humanitarian needs. (Psalms 41:1-3, Proverbs 21:13 & 19:17, Leviticus 25:35-37, Galatians 6:2).
Missions & missionaries.
Other ministries that inspire you to give: evangelists, and church planters
Tithing up or forwards – giving into things you want to see a harvest in
When this is done correctly, it also empowers and resources a church to act effectively in its giving and response to needs.
Benefiting from the principle (law) of seed time and harvest.
Something God designed and instituted.
Another principle that carries on after the cross
A law like the law of gravity can be denied but is present to be used
Something initiated for our benefit that man could be fruitful and multiply according to His desire for them. We see this desire expressed in the original design of Genesis
Adam and Eve – Genesis 1:28 – be fruitful and multiply
Noah – Genesis 9:1 & 7 – be fruitful and multiply
God instituted a principle (law) that was both natural and spiritual to enable multiplication called sowing and reaping.
A law that affects every area of our lives, not excluding finances.
Proverbs 18:24 – friendship
Proverbs 11:25 – refreshing and encouraging.
A continual principle:
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22 (ESV)
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7 (ESV)
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 (ESV)
Understanding “seed kind.”
Every seed bears fruit after its kind. Genesis 1:11 (NIV)
Carrots make carrots, and cabbages produce cabbages
What you sow, you reap – God puts control of your harvest into your hands
A replacement structure of financial provision beyond being carried by Him
What do you need more of in your life? What do you need to sow into to make it happen?
We are making it a lifestyle, not a moment
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12
Key Points:
You determine the amount and heart behind your sowing
Giving should be by heart conviction, never manipulation
God is able and willing to respond in abundance
God supplies seed to the one who intends to sow and desires to increase the size of a person’s seed barn
Enrichment returns in every way
Your obedience to give results in praises given to God
Remember there are 3 stages, not 2: “seed – time- harvest”.
Sowing involves faith and believing in the promise. It’s not about what you see or experience
Sowing and reaping are not subject to natural conditions
Example 1: Issac sowing in famine – Genesis 26:1 & 12-14
Example 2: A man who considers conditions – Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
Generosity is a Kingdom trait
Proverbs 28:22 – “The stingy man and the generous man”
Proverbs 11:24 -25 – “The one who gives increases all the more”
Proverbs 22:9 – “Having a bountiful eye”
Isaiah 32:8 – “A generous man devises generous things and will stand”
The relationship between us, our money, earth, and heaven
Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven – Matthew 6:19-21
Lazurus & The rich man – Luke 16: 19-31
Saved but with nothing to show for your life – 1 Corinthians 3:15
The Bible clearly teaches us how we should handle our finances in a Kingdom way, but also how God leaves the choice with us. Giving, whether tithe or offering, should be done with persuasion, obedience, and faith.
Conclusion
So how as believers, should we handle our finances, especially during a season of financial crisis or famine.
We see ourselves as stewards of what He has entrusted to us.
We honour Him with the tithe and return the firstfruit to Him
We live a lifestyle of sowing and reaping where we are sowing seed and enjoying harvests.