SOWING AND REAPING

CALVARY IS REAL BIBLE CHURCH

BIBLE SHARING (27/1/2019)

TOPIC:          SOWING AND REAPING

TEXT:            Gal. 6:6:18

MEMORY TRUTH: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7,8).

INTRODUCTION

Paul the apostle, in this segment of his epistle to the Galatian church reminds believers of their binding duty of supporting the ministry and the needy members of the church with their God given resources. But in doing this, he did not allow the appeal to degenerate into arm-twisting and high pressured emotional gimmicks that are rampart in some assemblies today. It is interesting to note that he used the word “communicate”, which is a derivative of the Greek word “koinonia” which connotes fellowship, sharing and distribution. This then means that giving and hospitality are aspects of believers’ fellowship.

Paul used the epistle to stir up their liberality and beneficence to faithful ministers and members of the church. It is obvious from the Apostle’s exhortation and his earlier warnings about false teachers that the love of the Galatians to the word of God and His ministers had grown cold. It was, therefore, needful to stir them up by reminding them of the unfailing and unchangeable law of sowing and reaping. Christian liberality and beneficence in general, towards the gospel minister is here compared to the seed sown and the harvest obtained. Likewise, the eternal destiny of every man is anchored upon the present input to his flesh or spirit.

Christians of all ages are expected and commanded to support the gospel work through sacrificial giving. “But to do good and communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).

First Fruits

Exodus 13:1-2, 12-15; 22:29; Num. 3:13; Deut. 15:19;  Lk. 2:23; Prov. 3:9-10; Exo. 23:19; Deut. 26:1-15

Most simply stated, “First Fruits Giving” can be likened to picking the very first ripe, red, juicy, tomato of the season off your vine and offering it at the altar, to the God who brought it forth from seed, with praise and thanksgiving for all the harvests of the past and with a sure confidence and faith that before the season is over, your vine would yield an abundant crop. God commanded the entire nation of Israel to honour Him by bringing the first crops of their harvest to the house of the Lord. The people were forbidden to use any part of the harvest until the first fruits were offered to the Lord. To neglect these first fruit offerings (or any other) was considered as robbery to God (Malachi 3:8). Giving of the first fruits was an act of allegiance to God as the giver of all. You are not an accident.” You are not a second thought. God planned you. One obligation you owe God for being your creator and God, is honour Him. To what extent are you honouring Him? Prov. 3:8-9 says; “you should hour God who is the father of Father with your first fruits.”

The FIRST FRUIT is a principle of faith and obedience that God established from the beginning, and it’s one of the most life changing principles in the scripture.

Don’t turn the First Fruit to Second Fruit! Don’t give God second place! Give God the First Fruit offering and receive the first blessing package from Jehovah Jireh! Because He want to see you succeed, He has put a system into place based on the principle of “First Fruit” God claims the First Fruit of anything! It rightfully belongs to Him in His divine order. All First Fruits belongs to God almighty, this includes; first salary, first profit, salary increase and first fruit of your productivity.

CALVARY IS REAL BIBLE CHURCH

BIBLE SHARING (27/1/2019)

TOPIC:          SOWING AND REAPING

TEXT:            Gal. 6:6:18

MEMORY TRUTH: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7,8).

Offering 

Lev. 27:30; Hag. 1:2-14; Malachi 3:6-14; I Kings 17:7-24

Tithe is one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy. Anything given below or above it is offering giving especially as a contribution or voluntarily giving to the Lord.

God responds to Israel in the book of Malachi by focusing on the example of their disobedience: they were negligent in giving their tithes and offerings. These offerings were required from time immemorial (Gen. 14:20). They provided practical support that enabled the priests and Levites to concentrate on serving God and supplied food for those in need such as orphans, widows and aliens (Exo. 29:27-28; Num. 5:9; Deut. 14:22-29). Spiritually, they represented an acknowledgement that all we possess belongs to God. Withholding tithes is equivalent to robbing him because we are refusing to give Him what is rightly His (3:8; Neh. 10:32-39; 13:10-13; Acts 5:1-11).

To teach His people that their obedience does make a difference, God challenges them to test His generosity (3:10). If they obey Him and bring the whole tithe to the place where the tithes are stored, He will flood them with blessings (Deut. 28:12; 2 Chron. 31:10; Prov. 3:9-10). Their land which had evidently been suffering from draught will be revitalized (3:11). Pestilences and crop failures will cease (Amos 4:9; Hag. 2:19; Zech. 8:12). He will make their work fruitful and keep away the locusts. Furthermore, everywhere they will be called blessed (3:12a; Isa. 61:9). Their land will be a light to all who see it (3:12b; Isa. 62:4; Dan. 8:9).

Failure to obey God’s word always brings a curse that affects the whole land (3:9; Hag. 1:5-11; Zech. 5:1-4). So in robbing God, we poison ourselves (Prov. 11:24).

Also, giving an offering to the Lord is very essential as God spoke to Haggai concerning the attitude of the people in Hag. 1:2-14; The people’s wrong priorities are exposed by the rhetorical question in Hag. 1:4. They were more concerned with building themselves comfortable houses with wood laid over the stone or clay walls than with building God’s house (compare David’s attitude in 2 Sam. 7:2; 1 Chron. 17:1-2; Psa. 132:1-5). God does not need a house, but the temple was the place where He had said He would meet with His people (Num. 14:10; 16:19; 1 Kings 8:10-13). By neglecting it, the people showed that they did not care whether the Lord was among them or not.

CALVARY IS REAL BIBLE CHURCH

BIBLE SHARING (27/1/2019)

TOPIC:          SOWING AND REAPING

TEXT:            Gal. 6:6:18

MEMORY TRUTH: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7,8).

Giving

Eccl. 5:4-6; Judges 11:29-39; 1 Chron. 29:1-14; Eccl. 11:1-6; Lk. 6:38; Isa. 32:20; Deut. 23:21-23; Num. 30:2

A seed grows and develop into fruits that are useful. It draws God to move in a situation and one of the medium to provoke God to action.

Giving in the other hands is a life that should be inculcated to every believer as Jesus gave also His life for us. It comes in different perspective apart from a mare material giving. David called for the building of the house of God and the people’s response from our text showed a heart willing to give unto the Lord. The leaders give voluntarily, wholeheartedly and with joy (2 Chron. 29:6-9). Their attitude was like that prescribed by Paul: ‘Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Cor 9:7).  This positive result came because David did not just ask the leaders to give, but also set an example by giving himself. The leaders followed their king’s example.

Vowing being another part of giving is shown from the life of Jephtha and others who vowed in fulfilling it unto the Lord and there was a blessing. From our references in Deuteronomy, Pulpit Commentary stated it as; Better is it that thou shouldest not vow. There is no harm in not vowing (Deuteronomy 23:22); but a vow once made becomes of the nature of an oath, and its non-performance is a sin and sacrilege, and incurs the punishment of false swearing