SUBTOPIC: WORK It is possible to flourish in the midst of all the challenges and difficulties of our time. - God can bring the best opportunities and avenues your way in challenging times. - At the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, God has been faithful to us in many ways. The Hebrew meaning of the word INCREASE – gives us the idea of something that grows in size and volume. - Increase means growing and becoming established. The Greek word has to do with the making of progress. To advance and to go beyond your contemporaries To increase is to grow in sphere of influence. In 2022, I believe God wants us to grow and increase spiritually, mentally, financially, purposefully, in our health, and in our relationship. Anchor Scripture: I Corinthians 3:6-7 “6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” Our God is the god of increase. God alone produced results. Paul planted. Apollos watered. God gave the increase.  You plant or sow a seed by scattering it on the earth. You disperse or spread. To sow/plant also means to introduce something. To create, produce, generate or promote.  To watering could mean pouring or sprinkling water over (a plant or area) in order to encourage growth. For you to experience growth in your life, something must be planted and there must be watering over what is planted for growth to take place. That in itself is not automatic because the results always lies with God. For there to be increase, the Principle of work must be applied Paul worked hard Apollos worked hard And God gave the increase. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORK? To work is to spend time and effort doing something. Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Labour, toil, service, sweat, exertion. A task to be undertaken. Business, career, job, employment, livelihood, profession, occupation, trade, project, responsibility. Faith to increase, without works, is dead. It’s a mere fantasy. You are only imagining something. If you believe that God is able to do the things He has revealed to you, then you should be ready to work towards its fulfilment. God Himself is a worker. Genesis 2:1-2 – “1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” Six days of work One day of rest (Sabbath) We must work more than the time we spend in resting. Exodus 23:12 – “12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.” Working without rest is also sin before God. Our employees must rest intermittently. Example: House helps must be given off days. Even Satan also works:- Example: The works of Satan I John 3:8 – “8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” God will establish the work of your hands. Psalm 90:17 – “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” John 5:17 – What Jesus said about work – “17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” John 17:4 – “4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Paul spoke about the works of God. Philippians 2:13 – “13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – 12 “10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and [a]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” We have been commanded to work A command is not for discussion. A CASE STUDY Genesis 26:1-5, 12-14 “There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” “12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.” (1) Isaac obeyed God and stayed in Gerar Isaac did not sit idle Isaac was not relaxing or sleeping Isaac was not complaining or murmuring Isaac decided to sow in the Land There was no water because there had been no rain. Abraham had taught his son Isaac the method of irrigation. Isaac knew how to dig wells Wells in the Bible represents Access and Supply. Isaac had access to water to water his crops and to feed his flock in the midst of famine. Because he obeyed the voice of God. Obeying God’s voice is critical to receiving God’s blessings and increase in your life. (2) Isaac Sowed in the land. Isaac Planted in the land God had promised to bless Isaac and his descendants, but he had to sow in the Land.  There can be no increase if there is nothing to sow or plant.  God, had spoken to Isaac about His blessings to him, but he had to sow his seeds. Isaac and his men had to work hard in order to achieve their objectives. (3) Isaac learnt how to reposition Himself Genesis 26:14-22 “14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” 17 Then Isaac departed from there and [a]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well [b]Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name [c]Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name [d]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” What it means to Reposition?  Place in a different position:  To adjust or alter the position of change the image of (a company, product etc.).  To revise the marketing strategy for (a product) so as to increase sales. There is REHOBOTH for everyone. Rehoboth is a place of fruitfulness. Isaac said: - “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the Land.” Keep on digging until you find your Rehoboth.  Keep on praying Keep on trusting God Your increase will manifest soon. I Kings 18:41-46 “41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” 44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, [a]‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded[b] up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” Elijah kept his head in-between his knees until the clouds started gathering and the rain began to fall.  He told his servant, “Go again.” Rain stands for fruitfulness and increase. Rain stands for God’s blessings. In the year 2022, the rains will fall there will be increase. James 5:17-18 – “17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” - God is calling us to go the extra mile. It takes that extra effort and quality to achieve greatness. Quote: - “The mile race is for average people, but the extra mile is for people of excellence.” George Kojo Addison. “Actions have transformed economies, companies, institutions and homes as well as our personal lives. Mere plans and ideas have never created value except when they are backed by actions.” Unknown. Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.  Never postponed to tomorrow the things you are supposed to do today. It’s known as Procrastination Example: Our First President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah said: - Independence Now! Not Later. The result: - Ghana gained independence in 1957, 6th of March. Later – Many other nations also had their independence as a result. There is a deep gulf between “I shall do” and “I am doing”. Where do you belong? God is a worker: all great and successful people have found a secret to excellence in their work. The Late Steve Jobs:- He achieved so much within 57 years of his life on earth. The whole world is now benefiting from his technological innovations because he deployed actions to every technological dream he had during his life time. Some of his products:- Apple I, Apple II, iPod, iPad, iPhone. Thomas Edison said: - “I have far more respect for the person with a single idea who gets there, than for the person with a thousand ideas who does nothing.” CONCLUDING THOUGHTS There can be no increase in our lives without the element of work. Paul said – I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  To increase spiritually, it calls for hard work. Example: Praying is hard work Reading the Bible is hard work Evangelising is hard work.  To increase in our relationships is work. o Walking in love is hard work. o Forgiveness is hard work/Sacrifice. To increase in our health is hard work. o Doing regular exercise, running, walking etc. May the Lord help us with strength as we strive for increase in our lives this year. PRAYER  Pray for the wisdom to reposition yourself for increase this year.  Ask God to multiply His grace upon you to enable you work hard toward increase in your life.