Jesus promised that when you sow into the kingdom of God, that seed comes back to you a hundredfold, and He said so Himself.
Last week I said something that just rang out across the room. I said every seed I've ever sown into the kingdom of God hasn't been forgotten. Every seed will come back to me a hundredfold.
Some of you heard that and thought, "That's prosperity gospel." No, that's Jesus gospel. That's what Jesus told us Himself.
Jesus talked about a 30, 60, and 100fold return when He was talking about sowing the word into people's hearts. But when He talked specifically about money, He only said hundredfold. I'm agreeing with Jesus on that one.
A hundredfold isn't a hundred times your money. It's doubling what you have, over and over, a hundred times. It's a return so big you honestly can't calculate it, kind of like a mustard seed that grows into a tree, and that tree produces more seeds that grow into more trees. You can't count where it ends.
A possession is something you're holding onto so tightly that you'd tell God, "You can have everything except this."
Turn with me to Mark chapter 10. As Jesus was starting out his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked him a question about eternal life.
As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young." Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. (Mark 10:17-22, NLT)
Notice how Jesus responds to this man once He feels genuine love for him. He gives him the truth.
We're not talking about money sitting in your account waiting for its assignment, money you'd release the second God gives the word. A possession is something you hold onto and say, "This is mine, and nobody's getting it."
For some of you, that's a car. For some, it's a savings account you're calling your emergency fund even though you don't have any emergencies right now. For some of you, it's your 401k. Everything is God's except that one thing.
It's wise to hold loosely to the things of this life and be willing to give anything to Him. If God tells you to sell your house, sell your house. If He tells you to cash out your 401k, that's what you do, because He knows best.
Jesus didn't even tell this man about the hundredfold return. He just said he'd have treasure in heaven, and honestly, that should be good enough reason to give up everything. But there's something even better than that coming, and we get to read about it and we still don't do it.
Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, meaning it's genuinely hard for anyone to lay down everything they own to follow Him.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God." (Mark 10:23-27, NLT)
Here's the picture behind that verse. Back in that day, people loaded all their belongings onto a camel to travel to the next city, and the city gate was only big enough for the camel, not for everything it was carrying. To get through the gate, they had to unload the camel completely.
That's what Jesus is saying. It's hard for people to lay down everything so they can enter the kingdom of God, but you can't fit through the gate with your stuff. Nobody can tell you to hold onto that thing you're gripping and still walk through, because you're still stuck at the gate.
He's not saying He won't give you something better on the other side. He's saying you have to lay it down to come through.
A rich person, according to James 5, isn't defined by how much money they have. It's defined by wealth that's rotting away because it wasn't used for what God intended.
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. (James 5:1-6, NLT)
Think about a banana. If you put it in your fruit tray and don't eat it in time, it rots. Not because bananas are bad, but because you didn't use it for its purpose at the right time.
That's what happens to wealth sitting in a bank account when God said do something with it and you didn't. It still sits there, but it stinks to the Lord and it will testify against you on judgment day.
God isn't against you having nice things. If He were, the streets in heaven wouldn't be paved with gold, and He wouldn't have told Solomon to build a temple worth close to a trillion dollars today. God just doesn't want the nice things having you, and if they're going to have you, He'll protect you from them, because that's an act of His mercy.
Wealth is meant to move, coming in and going out, and when it only comes in and never goes out, that's when it turns into hoarding.
If you have a lot of bananas and you don't share them, they rot. The same is true with money. There should be a flow of wealth moving in your life, coming in and going out.
Money is like manure. It does no good sitting in a pile. It only helps things grow once it's spread around.
If you've got wealth that's rotting, corroded, or hoarded, that's not the end of the story. The Lord can take that and turn it into something good, but it starts with repentance, which just means turning and saying, "I'm not doing that anymore."
Jesus promised that anyone who gives up house, family, or property for His sake will receive a hundred times as much back now, in this life, along with eternal life in the world to come.
Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said. "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property, along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life." (Mark 10:28-30, NLT)
Some people think the hundredfold return is only for heaven. It's not. Jesus gave us the timing right there in the verse. He said "now."
If you gave up relationships for His name's sake, He's going to give you the best relationships you've ever had. If you gave up property, you'll receive a return on property, because a seed produces a harvest of its own kind. You can't sow a mustard seed and get a carrot back.
The same is true with time. If you gave your time to the kingdom, you'll get back a harvest of time, not money. God loves to reward His children, and He told us exactly how to receive that reward instead of leaving us to figure it out on our own.
Jesus said a poor widow who gave two small coins gave more than all the wealthy people combined, because generosity isn't measured by how much you give, it's measured by how much you have left over after you give.
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44, NLT)
Jesus was watching how much people put in the offering, and He's still watching today. He's not condemning anyone for it, but He sees it.
There's a pastor in Seattle named Russell Johnson who leads a church called Pursuit. A piece of land came available in their city, 12 acres with a building already on it, priced at 55 million dollars, and his church only had two to three million dollars in the bank at the time.
He signed the papers anyway, believing God would provide, and a few Sundays later his church took up a single offering of 55 million dollars in one day. Russell said something that sums up the widow's offering well: generosity is not measured by how much you give, it's measured by how much you have left over after you give.
Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money, and the way you make sure money isn't your master is by refusing to store up treasure here on earth.
"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money." (Matthew 6:19-24, NLT)
Wherever your treasure is, that's where the desires of your heart will be too. There's a direct connection between the two.
You can't serve two masters. You'll end up loving one and hating the other, and you cannot serve God while being enslaved to money.
Jesus said not to worry about everyday life because your heavenly Father already knows what you need, and He asks you to seek His kingdom first instead.
"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life, whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (Matthew 6:25-33, NLT)
I've heard a minister say he doesn't ever ask God for his needs, because God already said He'd take care of them. He just trusts Him to do it, because scripture says God already knows.
Worrying can't add a single moment to your life. It only takes moments away, moments with your kids, your spouse, and with God.
How do you know when you're worrying about everyday life? It's when it consumes your thoughts and you can't sleep over it. You're not worrying when a bill comes due and you simply say, "Father, show me," and then carry on with your day while still doing your part to pay it.
What you think about first when you wake up and throughout your day reveals what's actually ruling your life, so you have to choose to keep your mind set on the kingdom of God.
If you fill your mind with worry, you'll lack. If you fill your mind with sickness, you'll be sick. If you fill your mind with unforgiveness, things you don't want are going to happen in your life.
We get invitations every day to think on the wrong thing. If we choose to think on the wrong things, we'll get what we think, because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
Your one duty in this Christian life is to keep your mind in line with God. That's a choice you get to make, over and over, every single day.
What does it mean when the Bible says a seed produces a hundredfold return? Jesus taught that a hundredfold return doesn't mean a hundred times your money back, it means doubling what you gave over and over until it becomes an amount too large to calculate. He used this number specifically about money in Mark 10, while using 30, 60, and 100fold when talking about sowing the word into people's hearts.
What does the Bible mean by "possessions" in the story of the rich young ruler? A possession is something you hold onto so tightly you'd tell God, "You can have everything except this." It's different from money in your account that you're ready to release the moment God gives the assignment for it.
Why did Jesus say it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven?Jesus used that image because in that culture, a camel had to be completely unloaded of everything it carried before it could pass through a city gate. In the same way, a person has to lay down everything they're holding onto to enter the Kingdom of God.
How does James chapter 5 define being rich? James 5 describes a rich person as someone whose wealth is rotting away because it wasn't used for its intended purpose, not simply someone who has a lot of money. Wealth that sits hoarded, uncirculated, and unused is what James says will testify against a person on the day of judgment.
Does God want people to have nice things? Yes. The sermon points out that heaven has streets paved with gold and that God instructed Solomon to build a temple worth close to a trillion dollars today, which shows God isn't against nice things. What God is against is nice things having control over a person.
Is the hundredfold return Jesus promised only for heaven? No. Jesus said in Mark 10 that the return comes "now," meaning in this life, in addition to eternal life in the world to come.
What is the point of the story of the widow's offering in Mark 12? Jesus said the widow's two small coins were worth more than the large gifts of the wealthy, because generosity isn't measured by the amount given, it's measured by how much is left over afterward. She gave everything she had to live on, while the wealthy gave only a small portion of their surplus.
How do you stop worrying about your everyday needs according to Matthew 6? Jesus said not to worry about food, drink, or clothing because your heavenly Father already knows what you need. Instead, He instructs you to seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will provide what you need.
