God declared to us that this month of May is our month of elevation and we are grateful that we have come to the last day in the month of May and God has seen us through by His mighty power, and we return all the glory to Him. And today it has pleased the Lord once more to share with us some hidden mysteries that will help and elevate us and I pray that as the word comes forth this morning, you will receive your own portion in Jesus name.
Download Podcast: THE ECONOMY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
This morning we are looking at "The Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God's Kingdom". When we hear the word "Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy", what comes readily to our minds? Some of us will think about trade, production etc. But we are going to use a definition this morning that I would love us to remember as we go through this message this morning. The Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God's kingdom. There are two definitions I will read quickly but I will emphasize on one.
Now Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy is the system of trade and industry, by which the wealth of a country, or kingdom; (because we are talking about kingdom this morning) is made and used. The second one I would love to read is; Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy is the system of making and trading things of value. Now the first one I read is the one I believe sooths the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of the kingdom, and the mystery the Holy Spirit wants to let us into this morning.
That is; Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy is the system of trade and industry by which the wealth of a kingdom is made and used. Because that used is so important. It is made and not banked; It is used. Now we are going to start by looking at a Scripture that gives us a pillar of God's Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy. In John 12, please I want us to go along with the Holy Spirit this morning, because it is more of a teaching into the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God's kingdom, and we are going to learn and relearn and most importantly some of us have to unlearn certain things that we hold dearly over the years.
John 12:24-25-These are the words of Jesus. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, Jesus said in John 12:24, "Most assuredly" I love when Jesus use the word most assuredly, meaning that there is nothing that can replace this principle. This principle is a pillar, nothing else can replace this principle, it is a strong founded pillar. So most assuredly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground, and dies; it remains alone; "but if" When we hear the word "if" we know its conditional. It is possible for a grain of wheat not to fall to the ground and die.
But if "it dies", The only reason we will have this result is premised on the condition we are talking about, that if it dies, "it produces much grain." So there is a production. But before that much grain is produced, there is a dying. Verse 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Now this is a key pillar, this is a pillar of God's Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy Gods Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy as a pillar is this important truth that Jesus shared in John 12:24, unless the grain of the wheat falls to the ground and dies, It remains alone, so in the Kingdom of God, if we look closely at this Scripture, there is a grain of wheat, the grain of wheat is a seed, it is small, minute sometimes insignificant. So every food in the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God starts as a seed. In Gods Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy everything starts as a seed; insignificant, small and Minuit- but there is something about that seed. That seed carries in it; abundance, every seed in the kingdom of God is pregnant with abundance.
When you see a seed in the Kingdom of God, the DNA of that seed is abundance. But something kick-starts the process. If that seed remains as a seed, it does not produce abundance. If that seed is kept away from the making process, from the producing process, it remains as a seed. Please follow through this morning. Jesus now let us into the making process. It says; "a grain of wheat falls into the ground" that is a process. "it falls into the ground" so there is a willingness of falling.
There is a seed, that falls willingly into the ground, that decides to burry itself in obscurity, that decides to humble itself; a seed. Everything in the kingdom is a seed. In fact the kingdom of God is the kingdom of seeds. God does not move, or produce, or causes increase; until there is a planting. For example; when God, was going to harvest or produce much grain of increase on the earth; there was a seed in Jesus. There was a seed in Jesus Christ who fell to the ground on the cross. And He died. If Jesus did not die, if the grain of the wheat of Jesus did not fall to the ground and died; Jesus would have abided alone as the only divinity that walked on the earth.
But when Jesus as a seed fell to the ground on the cross and died, what happened? He produced much grain, He produced more sons to glory. So you as a child of God, you are a seed. Every child, every man that God sends to the earth, and belongs to the kingdom of God, because our focus is God's kingdom. This is the mystery of Gods kingdom; this is how our abundance evolves in the kingdom of God. You can check it from Genesis to Revelation. It is the same principle, it is the same mystery. And if we can get it this morning we will be liberated as children of God.
We will be liberated as citizens of the kingdom of God. And God will be able to set us in the place where we can receive freely from Him, because this is how we receive. So when we as a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, now this is the process; you as a child of God, what makes you the citizen of the kingdom of God is that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He is the way, He is the entry point through which you have come into the kingdom. Now haven become the citizen of the kingdom, you have to start operating in the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy, in the system of the kingdom of God.
Now in the system, you are a seed, in the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God, you are a seed, you are a harvest in Christ, and you have now become a seed of the kingdom. You were an harvest in Christ; because Jesus was a seed that brought you as a harvest to God. Now in the kingdom of God, you have become a seed, for much more harvest in the kingdom. And that is how it works. Now you also have to do, that's why the Bible says; "looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith" you have to look at how Jesus brought you as an harvest, so that you also can have harvest, or create an harvest in partnership with God in the kingdom. Now we are building the foundation because if you can get this, then you can successfully build on this foundation to the point where we understand the demands of God concerning our lives. When you have come as a seed into the kingdom of God, there is something you must do. You must also fall down to the ground and die in obedience to God.
There is a life you must live for you to also have harvest in the kingdom, which is called fruitfulness. You must fall to the ground and die. And when you fall to the ground and die as a seed of the kingdom of God, then you produce much grain. That's how the ecosystem of God's Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy operates. You are somebody's harvest, but once you come into the kingdom, you also become a seed. As a seed in the kingdom, you also produce an harvest.
Until you become a seed you can't be sown, and until you are sown, there is no harvest. So that is how we operate in the kingdom of God. You are somebody's harvest. Yesterday in the evening Bible school, we have been made to understand that we have a ministry, we have been called to a life, and that's the ministry of reconciliation.
Now somebody reconciled us; that is Jesus. He is the mediator of the new covenant. He reconciled us back to God, so we are the harvest of His seed. Now we also have been given the ministry of reconciliation. So we are now a seed for another harvest, and until you become a seed and you fall to the ground and die, there cannot be an harvest. And in the kingdom of God, until you become a seed sown, you can't have an harvest. And Jesus was making us to understand this. And in verse 25 He broke it down to us so that we can understand what He is saying again.
He said "he who loves his life", he who refuses to sow his life as a seed in the kingdom will lose it; that life will not benefit him, and would not benefit the kingdom. "and he who hates his life in this world and say see God, I am ready to be sown as a seed, I am ready to fall to the ground and die, I am ready to humble myself under your mighty hand, because the exaltation of God talks about the harvest and we are going to see it in other Scriptures. Because the system and Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God, operates in a seed and harvest form. There is always a seed and harvest in everything. And I want us to see Luke 6 which will also explain to us further. Luke 6:38. Jesus also made a statement and I want us to understand it. I will read from verse 37.
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Jesus was talking about the same Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of the kingdom, that's how it works. You judge not and you are not judged condemn not and you are not condemned. and He now said; in verse 38 so that you will understand where He is coming from. it said; "Give, and it will be given to you". Many at a times we are always shrouded in the mediocrity that all Jesus is saying here is money no!, give! whatever you give; time, sacrifice, endurance, kindness, love, patience, long suffering; Give and it shall be given to you. There is a seed, your seed is what you give, what is given to you is your harvest.
What you have is what you give. and what you have is a seed and it will be given back to you which is your harvest. "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom" Why? Because you are the one that gave. It will not be put in my bosom, it will be put in your bosom, because you gave. For with the same measure" the same body of seed that you sowed, is the same body of harvest that you will have.
It says; "For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” "the same measure!" So as a child of God, in this kingdom, what are you giving? Because what you give is the same body of harvest you will have. In the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy, God cannot be mocked; whatsoever a man sows, whatsoever seed a man puts to the ground, the same he will reap. Jesus said; "until a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone" There is no increase in the kingdom until a seed is sown. And when we are talking about seed please remove the cap of; they have asked you so much for money now all you think seed is all about is money. No!
The kingdom of God is beyond money, the kingdom of God is not just in eating and drinking, it is in righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is much more than that, there is something you have to give. You can't also ignore the fact that the body you used to sow is what you will reap . So if what you are giving in the kingdom is money and you are giving it; in that you are falling to the ground and died, because until your seeds is accepted, God cannot give you an harvest. So you have to be accepted, your seed is your life. Until your life is accepted by God, there is no promise of an harvest. That is why that process of falling to the ground and dying is so key.
That is why it is not everyone that sows that harvest. You can ask farmers, it is not every seed you put in the ground, that germinate. Some perish. And that is why you must actually fall to the ground with the mindset of dying. Because until you die, that you have your life back. And you don't have it in the measure of the death. You have it in the measure of the increase that God has assigned for you. And I want us to see a Scripture again in 2 Corinthians 8, because we want to use Scriptures to interpret Scriptures, so that we will understand that God has been saying the same thing over and over again, this is the system of the kingdom. 2 Corinthians 8, I will read verse 13 to 14.
"For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened" Now Apostle Paul was talking to the Corinthian church, about their promise, about a gift they had made up their minds to give, and it says; "but by an equality, that now at this time." I want to introduce us to a concept, I want you to follow through on this concept, it is a kingdom concept; Apostle Paul was making them understand that in the kingdom, we don't do equity, we do equality. He said; "but by equality that now at this time" I love the way this Scripture puts it. "Now at this time" it is not forever, "Now at this time, your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality" So in the kingdom of God, God responds in abundance and God is not a waster. When God responds with an abundance, it is because there is a lack. When Jesus came, He was 100 percent man, and 100 percent God, because there is a lack of God in the lives of men.
The Bible says; "He was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure" because there is no measure of the Holy Spirit in the many He has come to meet. So the abundance of Christ came because of the lack of men and that is why He said I have not come for those that are healed, I have come for those that are sick, because it is those that are sick that needs a physician. It is those that are lacking. I come with the embodiment of health for the sick. So God is not a waster, when God gives you an abundance of revelation, it is because that revelation is lacking, when God gives you an abundance of wealth, it is because that particular wealth is lacking.
And Apostle Paul puts it in this way for us to understand, that in the kingdom of God, there is equality. God does not give you abundance, so that you store in your barn or in your ware house. God gave you an abundance so that you will supply to the body. He said; "by equality, now at this time" it is about a time, so child of God don't think you are going to carryon that kingdom wealth forever, If you don't use it God will take it. Don't think you will carry on that abundance of revelation forever, if you don't use it, God will take it. "but are by an equality" He didn't give you so that you will be puffed up, He didn't give you so that you will satisfy your personal gratifications, He didn't give you for yourself not even for your family. God gives and supplies abundance for a lack. "now at this time your abundance may supply their lack."
2 Corinthians 9:8-10. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, (for what reason?) that you, always (not sometimes) you always! having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. God responds in abundance, God causes His grace to abound towards you, so that you having all sufficiency always may abound unto every good work. There is a good work, there is a supply that you have been instituted for. That is why yesterday I was so excited when my brother was sharing in the evening Bible school, about our role in the Body of Christ. It is so Germaine, it's so key, they abundance is not for yourself. It is to supply the body. What God has given you, it is not for you to feel good or have a sense of arrival, it is for the body.
No wonder when Jesus was talking about the parable of the talent. He said one was given five, another was given two, another one, and he said it came to a time that the master had gone away, they started trading, and the one that had five, traded and got five more, the one that had two traded and got two more, the one that was given one buried it. He said no I wont trade with it; I wont use it, I wont supply anybody with anything. And that is the state of some people, some believers in the church, God has given you a gift, He has given you abundance, in an area, and you are not supplying. And when the master came and they were settling accounts, what did he say? I want us to go to that Scripture, because it is very very instructive.
Matthew 13 just put your finger in that 2 Corinthians, and I want us to see Matthew 13 because, I don't want to quote it without quoting the critical part of it. Matthew 13:12. See the response of the master. "For whoever has, to him more will be given", Not because he just has and he is giving it, because he is using it. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; why? Because he is supplying a lack. "but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Because he does not even recognize it, He doesn't appreciate it, he doesn't see it as relevant, he doesn't see it as useful, so what he has will be taken away from him. So what do you have? What is that abundance of grace that God has supplied to you? How are you using it? Are you hoarding it, or are you using it? Are you supplying? There is a Scripture that makes us to understand that the way the body Christ functions, every joint supplies, because there is an abundance in every joint.
There is an abundance in every member of the body of Christ and your responsibility is not to feel good about yourself, but to supply. That's your responsibility, not to feel I am more important than the other, every joint supplies because you are a seed in that body. There is an harvest, you must fall to the ground and die. And I want us to go back to that 2 Corinthians 9. We read verse 8 now we are going to read to 10. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Anyone in the kingdom of God that disperses, anyone in the kingdom that gives; his righteousness will endure. And some of us will look at some men of God today and we admire them so much, we look at some sons of the kingdom and we admire them. Apostle Paul mentioned it this way in one of his epistles: he said; "we are the diffusers of the fragrance of the knowledge of God" we don't keep it, we don't smell good for ourselves, we diffuse it, so everyone can smell good. So that the knowledge of God can cover the earth as waters covers the sea.
Now see verse 10: "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown" So it is your responsibility to sow the seed, while He supplied you the seed. That call, that assignment, that gift, that spiritual gift, that natural gift that God has given you, is grace, he has supplied it to you, you didn't work for it. God supplied you the seed, it is now your responsibility, because this is how the eco system of Gods Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy works. God supplies you the seed, your responsibility is to sow the seed, and he said this is how you should sow the seed. "He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed" God supplies and God multiplies God does not sow God is the supplier. That's why Apostle Paul said I plant, Apollos waters but God multiplies, He gives the increase.
Grace has given you that gift, grace has given you that seed, He has supplied it, your responsibility is to sow it. He said: He will supply and multiply the seed you have sown. So in that verse 10, the responsibility of God and your responsibility is clear. God supplies in the kingdom, God multiplies in the kingdom. But God does not multiply a seed that has not been sown. You sow the seed and increase the fruit of your righteousness.
There is a seed for you to sow. Until you sow your life, until you burry yourself in the work of God, until you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God in total obedience. God will not give you an instruction and obey for you. No! You are the one that will obey. You are the one that will sow the seed. Or else you will not benefit from the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of the kingdom of God. The Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy is like a circle, seeds and harvest. There are different seeds you will be given in your life time don't think it's just one seed. Your responsibility is to identify the seed that God has supplied. Child of God you must be able to identify the seed that God has supplied and that's why you have to be discerning as a child of God. You must know that what you have is a seed and not bread.
Because God will supply you seed and He will supply you bread. Bread is for food, seed is for sowing. You must be able to clarify and understand the difference. Or else you will not be functional or benefit from the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of the system of God in the kingdom. Identify the seed, identify the bread, you can eat the bread but you cannot eat the seed. Bread is to be eaten, seed is to be sown. You must sow the seed, because until you sow the seed, there is no harvest in view. The reason for the abundance is because there is a lack. God did not give you money so that you can spend it on yourself. God did not give you that healing ministry so that you can be healing your family members.
God did not give you that call, that abundance of revelations for yourself. Why do you think Apostle Paul was always writing letters? He was in prison but he was always writing letters, because he must diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of God. The revelations he was receiving in the prison was not for the prison. It was for the body so he was supplying letters of revelations which you and I are benefitting from today. We are also products of his harvest who will benefit, who are the people that will be the product of your harvest if you don't sow the seed. God has been telling you, come deeper, come let us have a deep conversation, I want you to come to the secret place and receive revelations and you have been excusing it away.
You refuse to fall to the ground and die, how will you sow the seed? How will you get the harvest? There is a life we have been called to live and the life of the kingdom is a sacrificial life, that is the example that Jesus gave us. For the joy that was ahead of Him, for the joy that was ahead of Him, He died, He sowed Himself as a seed for the harvest. The joy talks about the harvest, the glory talks about the harvest, don't be fixated on the harvest and you miss out on the opportunity to sow, because if you miss out on your opportunity to sow, there is no harvest.
Jesus could not have been looking at the glory and He will refuse to die, many believers see the glory of your life afar off but you can't step into it, why? You have not gone through the process. You can't jump into harvest, a seed has to be sown. Unless a grain of the wheat falls to the ground and die it abides alone. I want to read a Scripture for us in John 10:10. So that you will understand that God is always speaking in the abundance. "The thief does not come except to steal" that's what the devil does. "Except to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I have come that you may have life. You may have a life that promises good things in the future, "and that you may have it more abundantly."
Now I want to show us the difference between have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus said; "I have come that you may have life"- you may have a seed to sow, you may have a seed to put in the ground in the kingdom. And that is the same thing He said, remember where we read in John 12, it says; "one who keeps his life", the life I have given to him , the ministry I have given to him, the gift that I have given to him, the one that keeps it will loose it and He said that in this verse 10: "I have come that they may have life" I have come as a seed and I have given them a harvest of a life In the kingdom. and He said "and that" not just that, not "or" "and that!" There is a life in the kingdom but there is an abundant life in the kingdom.
The people that have abundant life in the kingdom are men and women that chose to sow their lives as a seed. Until you sow your life as a seed this other promise that Jesus gave, you can't step into it. He said; "and that they may have it" what is the "it?" The life. The first life. And that they may have it more abundantly. So when God gives you a seed and you sow it, there's an harvest, in that harvest God gives you, there is a seed in it. So you will identify the seed, remove the seed, sow it again. That's how it goes on and on and on. That's the Economy on CentreNDL”>Economy of God's kingdom. There is a seed to sow, There's an harvest. A wise farmer always remove seed from every harvest. It is a foolish farmer that will eat up all the harvest. A wise farmer will always remove seed from every harvest. It is a foolish farmer that eats up all the harvest.
For every harvest that we have, that God gives to us, inherent in it, there is a seed that God has locked up. The Bible says that "God delights in concealing a matter" so He conceals the seed in the harvest. It's your own duty to "search out" the seed in the harvest. When you sow it again, God gives you another harvest. So Paul plants, Apollos waters and God gives the increase. I believe that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you this morning, I believe that there is something that God has put in your heart, I believe the seed of this word has been down in your heart and if you allow it to fall to the ground and die you will have much more grain.
And I pray that would be your experience in the name of Jesus.
