Difference between giving and sowing

Offering message
15/2/15

"Have you been praying through the booklet? We have been praying through the prayer focus for the church each day of the morning watch.

God speaks to us during the watches and gives us prophecies and visions even as we pray.

We have also been receiving understanding of God's heart and purpose even as we pray through some of the prayer focus.

Just want to share that our friends in the Philippines are also praying for us using the booklet.

This is Ps WR's testimony:

"Hello to all, 

We are praying for HGC using the booklet and while we are praying we felt blessed and encouraged. We could see your hearts filled with much love for the Lord.

We speak blessings to you all and that through you Ampang will be turned upside down for Jesus"

As for me, I feel an increasing love for the church even as I pray through the booklet. The focus is wide and varied - Community Centre, life groups, pastors, full time workers, kindy, children's church, youth, core values of the church, the mission and vision statement etc.

As for praying for the nation, I can sense an increasing peace and assurance that God is allowing all the events for a purpose - to prepare HIS BRIDE.

Difference between giving and sowing

As I was considering this, I realized that there is indeed a difference between giving and sowing.

Giving is a general term to describe an act of taking something from our hands and putting it into the hands of another person.

Sowing is a type of giving but a deeper kind of giving with depth, richness and expected rewards.

Characteristics of sowing:

1. "Sowing" to a church, ministry or work of the Lord with a long-term commitment/perspective in mind.

2. "Sowing" is not just limited to money but also time, resources, energy, natural talents, gifts. The most powerful form of "sowing" is "sowing in prayers"!

3. "Sowing" increases our love for the church, ministry or work we are sowing to. "Sowing" for a prolonged period of time or "continuous sowing" will also bring us into deeper revelation, wisdom and anointing of the Lord with regards to the thing or work or ministry that we are sowing to.

An example of sowing in the Bible is found in the life of Isaac.

In Genesis 26:2-3, God told Isaac not to go to Egypt but to stay at Gerar.

"The Lord appeared to him and said "Do not go down to Egypt, live in the land which I shall give you. Dwell in this land and I will bless you for to you and your descendants, I give all these lands..."

After hearing from God, Isaac stayed put in Gerar in obedience to the word of the Lord.

Isaac then decided to sow in Gerar in obedience to the Lord. He did not just pass his time doing nothing. He was rich to begin with but he became even richer in Gerar. His wealth increased greatly.

Genesis 26:12-13

"Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold and the Lord blessed him"

There are 4 principles of sowing from this story:

1. Obedience

Isaac obeyed the Lord to stay in one place even though he had planned to go elsewhere. God has spoken to you to make HGC your home church and you have been coming faithfully because of this.

2. Diligence

Isaac was diligent in his sowing. He planted seeds, tended to his flocks and saw God multiplying his wealth. 

If God has called us to HGC then let us not be lazy in serving Him. Let us determine to sow our money, our time, our resources, our energy, god-given gifts and talents to build up the work of the Lord in this church.

Let us join life groups and participate in the various ministries in order to "sow" our time and energy. Let us fully utilize our gifts and talents to build up HIS GLORIOUS CHURCH (HGC).

The highest form of sowing (to me) is sowing in prayers for our church whom the Lord loves very much.

3. Long-term commitment

The 3rd principle is "sowing for a period of time" in order to see rewards. Isaac sowed for up to a year before he saw rewards.

God multiplied his flocks, his herds and his possessions exceedingly.

Some of us have been in this church since its start, some joined mid-way, some of us are new being less than a year but all of us have answered the call to build the Bride of Christ in this church in Ampang.

In a sense all of us are "spiritual sowers" and builders assigned to do our part to build up the great work of the Lord in this place.

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST THE GREATEST PROJECT ON EARTH.


4. Love for the church

Do you want to have a deep and increasing love for the church? Then "sow" deeply in prayers.

Sacrifice sleep for the morning watches.

Sacrifice time for corporate prayer.

Let us determine to "sow in prayers" for the church by praying through page by page of the prayer booklet.

You will soon find yourself having AN INCREASING LOVE FOR THIS CHURCH, HGC (HIS GLORIOUS CHURCH) in every page of the booklet!

Amen"