Reaping A Great Financial Harvest

The King's Church International Audio Podcast

The Bible is full of scripture about financial increase, wealth and prosperity. This is not speaking about some get rich quick scheme, but what the Bible very clearly teaches us about money and finance.

If you’re praying for a financial breakthrough, there’s no better place to turn than to God’s wisdom, spoken out through His Word. God’s Word is life and when we place it at the centre of our lives it brings life to every area - life to our bodies, life to our spirit, life to our relationships and life to our finances.

In order to reap the promised great harvest we read of in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, we need to first sow:

1. Sow with generosity (2 Corinthians 9:6,13; Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 14)

2. Sow with obedience (2 Corinthians 9:1-5,13

3. Sow with joy (2 Corinthians 6:7; Matthew 19:16-22)

4. Reap in provision (2 Corinthians 6:10; Psalm 65:9-11; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19)

5. Reap in righteousness (2 Corinthians 6:10; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 5:6)

6. Reap in every way (2 Corinthians 6:11)

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1. Sow with generosity. The Bible teaches us that when we sow generously, we will reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6). This is true in so many aspects of life e.g. when we are generous with our time, our friendships and relationships flourish. But the Bible is also telling us, specifically, that it is true in the area of our finances (Proverbs 3:9-10). The word clearly says that first, we are called to be generous to the Lord, to honour God with our wealth, to present to Him our first fruits. Not the dregs of what’s left over, but generously out of the cream of the crop. However, we are also called to more widely be generous on every occasion, to all people (2 Corinthians 6:13). Are you living a life of financial generosity? To your family, to your friends, to God? Or are you content to withhold, to focus on blessing yourself first and foremost. Generosity shows the heart of Jesus to people, and we see here how other believers were encouraged by the acts of generosity by the church in Corinth. Jesus was the ultimate model of generosity. When King Herod beheaded Jesus’s cousin John the Baptist, Jesus still had compassion and generously ministered to the needs of the people (Matthew 14). Jesus never withheld anything from us, all the way to the cross where he paid the ultimate cost on our behalf. We need to be people who sow generously. Break out of any me-centred thinking. How can you instead look to bless others, your spouse, family, disciples, and the Lord.

2. Sow with obedience. This chapter talks about how the Church in Corinth had pledged a generous gift, and their enthusiasm had encouraged and stirred many others to do likewise (2 Corinthians 9:1-5). However, the gift had not yet been fulfilled and Paul was writing to encourage the believers not just to boast of their perceived generosity, but to be ready and to fulfil it (2 Corinthians 9:13). Their sacrifice and faithfulness provided for the needs of many. Many people, often in great need, can be blessed through our obedience. As a church we tithe a tenth of our income and give to missions and grants all over the world, often in some of the poorest countries, to very practically support the people and the see the gospel advanced as an overflow of that generosity. We are taught time and again that obedience brings blessing. This is true in many areas, but also particularly true with obedience in our finances. When there is financial disobedience it will block you from receiving the blessing God has in store for you. This can take many forms: maybe you’ve been withholding tithes, unfulfilled pledges, unpaid loans or taxes? Maybe there’s something that needs to be put in order today. Young people, tackle this now. You may feel it is insignificant, tithing your Saturday job money, but it instils a spirit of faithfulness, and you will be reaping for decades to come out of your obedience to God.

3. Sow with joy. It is not just the act of sowing financially, but on the attitude we need to sow with (2 Corinthians 6:7). We can’t just be cheerful reapers! We read in Matthew 19:16-22 the story of a very rich man who was keeping all the commandments but still felt a lack in his life. He asked Jesus what he still lacked, and Jesus told him to sell everything and come and follow Him. But instead the man went away sad, because he had great wealth. Thinking back to our series last year on the 12 disciples, many incredible ministries began by answering the call of Jesus to leave everything and follow Him. This rich man walked away from a destiny with the Lord because he could not freely give his wealth. Money grips people and society. They cannot truly experience the fullness of the joy of the Lord whilst they are still under its control. Don’t allow money to rule you. So often thinking about money can bring fear or anxiety. Or it can even lead us to the opposite end of the spectrum: looking to it for happiness or hope. We need to have our lives in the right order, no other gods in our lives. Follow Jesus and not money. When you get this right, it will release you into a new freedom to give cheerfully, freely and with great joy. Sowing can be hard work, it can even be frustrating at times, but sowing is not the end. It is the preparation phase to receive the harvest. When we sow our finances in accordance with the word, we are promised to reap a harvest in many ways:

4. Reap in provision. We will not just reap in the basics of provision, but in many ways (2 Corinthians 6:10). We see 3 key elements here to Gods provision here: He promises to provide for our natural needs. One of the ways we can expect to reap is in our most basic needs. There are many examples throughout the Bible where God is revealed as the ultimate provider (Psalm 65:9-11; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). As His children, we are not called to lack in any way. Be confident He can and will supply for all your needs. Secondly He promises to provide the means for opportunity: verse 10 doesn’t just say He provides bread, but He also supplies seed for the sower. In other words, God doesn’t just provide physical stuff, but He provides the means, the opportunity, to be productive and increase in prosperity. God can provide this in many ways, e.g. in new business ideas, new clients, new jobs or investment. He wants to multiply what we have in our hands. Then He promises to enlarge our territory: lastly, Verse 10 says He will supply and increase your store of seed. In other words, we see that God provides an increase in our territory. Maybe you need provision in your savings; for medical bills, pensions, kids education/uni. Maybe you need to see your house enlarged. God is willing and able to increase your store! We are not called to be hoarders’ wealth but to steward it wisely. John Wesley famously taught to earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can. When we faithfully sow, we will reap a great harvest of provision and see our territory enlarged.

5. Reap in righteousness (2 Corinthians 6:10). When we have things in the right order, when money is in its right place as a tool and not as a master, we enable ourselves to be right before God. We live in a world where people tend to believe their ways are right in their own eyes, where true or false becomes relative, and many believe they can do whatever they think, or feel is right. But we cannot allow ourselves to be deceived, there is an absolute standard of righteousness. The importance of pursuing it is commanded by Jesus (Matthew 6:33). There is God’s favour for those who live for His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). The root to satisfaction therefore is to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be hungry to be right with God. This is why Paul is teaching us that as we obey God’s rule in respect of our finances, we will see our relationship with God flourish.

6. Reap in every way (2 Corinthians 6:11). The blessing promised here is for the quality of every area of our lives to be enhanced. You might be thinking that God has been faithful in my finances, we are comfortable, and although more would be nice, there isn’t a desperate need. But the promise extends beyond your money: your marriage, your children, your health, your ministry. They will all be enriched when you sow your finances into the kingdom and people of God. God wants to enrich us materially and spiritually, not for our own riches or lavish lifestyles, but so, as it says in verse 11, that we can be a great blessing to people and bring glory and thanksgiving to God. If we want to reap this great harvest, we have got to sow into the kingdom of God.