Harvest Is the Reason for Sowing: The Wonder of Expectation
Dr RJ Sing, 50 min, Lesson 103, Part 2 of Business and Leadership
Originally preached as “Business and Leadership 103: The Wonder of Expectation”
Sermon outline
It is not wrong to expect something back from God: He is a rewarder, harvest is the reason for sowing, and every seed should be wrapped with expectancy and given an assignment.
Main text
- Hebrews 11:6
- Proverbs 24:3-4
Opening
He leads communion with a short teaching on the principle of multiplication and asks the church to let go of offence before they eat and drink. After worship he recommends a stack of books, including several of his own and the month's Faith Chronicles on the law of abundance, and describes his own daily prayer routine. He prays, then explains that this is still Business and Leadership 103, part two, because he did not finish last week, and gives it the subtitle 'the wonder of expectation'.
The principle of multiplication
From the feeding of the five thousand he draws two principles: something must be blessed before it can multiply, and only what is given away can multiply. Tithing is returning to the Lord what belongs to Him so that the nine tenths is blessed, and what is shared over and above the tithe is sowing. He teaches that offence closes the heart and stops everything multiplying, because the fight is never with flesh and blood, so he leads the church to forgive before taking the bread and the cup.
Illustration: A little boy's lunch fed a crowd he puts at 15,000 to 20,000 once women and children are counted. God can take a little and make much.
“Something must be blessed before it can multiply.”
- Luke 9:12-17
- Hebrews 7:8
- Ephesians 6:12
- Matthew 6:14-15
- 1 John 1:9
- Matthew 26:26-28
You can only do what you know
A house is built by wisdom, established by understanding and its chambers filled by knowledge, which is why the church teaches and why books are written. Thousands have been taught it is wrong to expect anything from God, but from Genesis to Revelation God's intent is for His people to multiply, grow and increase. He reminds young people that prosperity is measured over a lifetime, which takes the hurry out of it.
Illustration: When you pray for forgiveness you expect to be forgiven. It would be ludicrous for a pastor to pray with you and then say he does not think God has forgiven you. It is the same when you sow.
“Prosperity is not in segments of a year or six months. Prosperity is in segments of a lifetime.”
- Hebrews 11:6
- Proverbs 24:3-4
- Hosea 4:6
Wrap your seed with expectation
When you sow tithes and offerings, write down what you are expecting from God: the dreams, goals and needs you are believing for. God's greatest pleasure is to be believed and His greatest pain is to be doubted. He uses harvest as the motive for sowing, promising a return after many days, a good measure running over, and barns filled with plenty.
Illustration: A prosecutor looks for the motive behind a crime. God supplies the motive for giving by painting a picture of overflowing barns.
“Stripping expectation from your seed is theft of the greatest pleasure God knows.”
- Hebrews 11:6
- Luke 6:38
- Ecclesiastes 11:1
- Numbers 23:19
- Proverbs 3:9-10
God paints portraits of prosperity: Peter and the hundredfold
Peter was a successful commercial fisherman whom Jesus called away from his business, and there came a day he grew despondent and said, 'We left all and followed you.' Jesus answered with a hundredfold now, in this time, of houses and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the world to come. He reads that as a twofold blessing: one for this life and one for the next.
Illustration: In his opinion the persecution is envy: people who knew you when you could not pay the rent and drove an old car will gossip when God prospers you.
“I don't mind the persecution as long as I'm blessed.”
- Mark 10:28-30
Giving is the cure for greed
Many think it is evil to sow for a desired harvest, but harvest is the reason for sowing. Every time you give, you master the thought of keeping it for yourself. Greed hoards, man withholds, Satan steals and God gives, so cheerful giving reveals the nature of God in you.
Illustration: He testifies that the things he desired have been fulfilled, some quickly and some after a long time.
“When you give you have revealed the nature of God within you.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Unlearn the teaching that it is wrong to expect anything in return
Jesus offered the woman at the well water so that she would never thirst again, a picture to motivate her to pursue Him. God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His children. Job lost everything at Satan's hand, not God's, kept believing, and received double at the end. Storms come to test your foundations, so keep your expectancy up and stay planted in the house of the Lord instead of running from church to church.
Illustration: Every time you have a financial breakthrough, God says, 'Wow, that's my boy... that's my girl, go for it.'
“God's a giver. Satan is a taker.”
- John 4:13-14
- Psalm 35:27
- Job 1:8-12
- Job 2:9
- Job 13:15
- Job 42:10
- Psalm 92:13
1. Expectation is the current that makes the seed work for you
Every time you sow seed in the house of God, expect something to happen.
“Expectation is the current that makes the seed work for you.”
2. Expect protection as God promised you
Wherever you go God will protect and keep you. Keep confessing that over your life every day.
3. Expect favour from a Boaz close to you
In your family, your workplace or the business realm, expect God to raise up someone to bless you and give you favour.
“Expect a Boaz or somebody that God will raise to bless you.”
4. Expect financial ideas and wisdom from God
When you go to bed, expect dreams and visions, a business idea, something dropped into your spirit to do better.
“Expect God to give you a business idea.”
5. Expect your enemies to be confused before you
There are people who envy your position and want to come against you, but God will confuse them.
6. Expect God to bless you for every act of obedience
For every act of your obedience, expect the blessing to come.
7. Expectation affects God
When you sow with expectation, your seed stands before God and speaks for you. You do not have to represent yourself. Expect Him to respond favourably from every paycheque.
Illustration: Jesus sat watching the treasury and called His disciples to see the widow who gave two mites, all she had. Scripture says nothing of her hair, her earrings or her dress. Her seed spoke for her.
“Your seed will speak for you.”
- Mark 12:41-44
8. When you start looking and expecting God to fulfil His promise, the harvest will come more quickly and bountifully than you ever dreamed
This is the crux of the message. Do not open your purse sloppily in church; come with the offering prepared, written down and prayed over. As you release it Christ receives it in heaven, your seed begins to speak and angels go to work on your behalf. Give your seed an assignment.
Illustration: At a shooting range you aim for the bullseye. In the same way the seed leaves your hand with a target, but it does not leave your life.
“Give your seed an assignment.”
Putting it into practice
- Forgive and let go of offence before you come to the Lord's table.
- When you sow, write what you are expecting on the envelope or a note and keep it where you can see it.
- Come to church with your offering prepared, recorded and prayed over.
- Keep expecting through the storms and stay planted in one church.
- Invest in books and build a daily routine of prayer, devotional reading and confession.
Closing
He reminds the church that the first Sunday of every month is both communion and a priestly offering, opens the altar for people to bring it, and has the confession over tithes and offerings put on the screen. The congregation stands and reads it aloud together, and he ends with a call to clap and praise God.
Declarations he led
- I must wrap my seed with expectancy.
- Father, as we bring our tithes and offerings, we believe you for jobs and better jobs, promotions and raises, bonus and benefits, sales and commissions, favorable settlements, estate and inheritances, blessed investments and income, checks in the mail, gifts and surprises, finding money, bills paid off, supernatural debt cancellation.
- We claim restoration of all that has been lost, stolen or delayed from our families, all overcharges by clerks or companies, all promises made that were not kept, double for our trouble, all real estate owned by our ancestors and the benefits of it.
- We say the wealth of the sinners be released to the righteous. Mountains be removed and cast into the sea. Giants get out of our land. Devil let go of our harvest. Money come into our hands. Prosperity come forth in the name of Jesus.
In his words
- “It is God's greatest pleasure to be believed. It is His greatest pain when we do not believe.”
- “Harvest is the reason for sowing. Giving is the cure for greed.”
- “Prosperity is in segments of a lifetime.”
- “Your seed will speak for you.”
- “Give your seed an assignment.”
Every scripture in this message
- Luke 9:12-17
- Hebrews 7:8
- Ephesians 6:12
- Matthew 6:14-15
- 1 John 1:9
- Matthew 26:26-28
- James 1:22
- Hosea 4:6
- 1 Timothy 2:8
- Revelation 12:11
- Hebrews 11:6
- Proverbs 24:3-4
- Luke 6:38
- Ecclesiastes 11:1
- Numbers 23:19
- Proverbs 3:9-10
- Mark 10:28-30
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
- John 4:13-14
- Psalm 35:27
- Job 1:8-12
- Job 2:9
- Job 13:15
- Job 42:10
- Psalm 92:13
- Mark 12:41-44
- Proverbs 13:22
- Mark 11:23
- Philippians 4:19
