TOPIC: RETURN ON SEEDS I
MEMORISE:
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. Mark 4:20
READ: Matthew 13:1-8
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
MESSAGE
In finance, there is something called Return on Investment. Likewise, in the kingdom of God, there is something I'll like to call Return on Seeds. This is the profit you make when a seed is sown in the kingdom of God. According to today's Bible reading, there is the possibility of having a zero return on seeds sown, or a 30, 60 or 100-fold return. Also, as you will learn later in this series, there is the possibility of having an unlimited return on your seeds.
Two things determine your return on seeds: the first is what is left with you after sowing. In other words, how sacrificial is your seed? The second is the soil on which you sowed. Today, I will focus on the kind of soil that brings zero return on seeds.
Many years ago, I was sowing seeds into a ministry abroad. I knew about the law of harvest, so I kept sowing. However, nothing was coming forth. I became worried, and so I started to ask God what was happening. Then, I had a dream. In the dream, I was standing on a farmland with heaps that showed that things had been sown on that land. I lifted one of the heaps, and underneath it was solid concrete. This meant that nothing could grow on that land. When I woke up, I knew the meaning of the dream – the ministry I had been sowing into was as good as concrete ground; no seed will yield returns when sown there.
If you sow a seed in a place that God does not approve of, your seed will yield no return. God cares about the poor, therefore, when you sow into their lives, Psalm 41:1 says that He will deliver you in the day of trouble. God cares about His prophets and ministers, so when you sow into their lives, you will get a reward (Matthew 10:41-42). God cares about His Church, so when you sow into a ministry, you will be rewarded (Malachi 3:10-12). If the place you sow into only looks like a ministry from the outside but is devoid of God's presence, then your seeds will yield zero returns. You can decide to give anybody money if you wish, but if it is a seed, ensure that you are sowing in any place or a person that God is interested in.
Don't sow your seeds on concrete and expect a return, it will not yield anything.
KEY POINT
Be sure of the soil before you sow your seeds in it.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8-11
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Refrain
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3 There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4 There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5 There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
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