THE GOD OF INCREASE: DR MENSAH OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE, 16TH JANUARY, 2022.

SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSAH OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)

TOPIC: THE GOD OF INCREASE

DATE: 16TH JANUARY, 2022

TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-7

Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:

Are you ready? Say with me:

I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.

The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.

The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”

So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.

Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.

In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.

In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!

I am Preaching today on: THE GOD OF INCREASE.

Our Theme for the Year is “INCREASE”.

And God is the Superintendent of Increase. He oversees, regulates and brings Increase into existence.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7; Paul is writing to the Church in Corinth, and if you know your Bible well – When Paul had gone to Corinth to Preach the Gospel; afterwards, Apollos also came to Corinth to Preach to the People and to encourage the Church.

And so the Church of Corinth, a very carnal Church began to think that some Part of them was the Paul Group; and other Part was the Apollos Group – There was division in the Church.

So Paul is writing to the Church in Corinth to tell them about the role he Played and the role Appolos Played. And he puts everything in context. And that context is where I will take my Main Text from.

So this is what it says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NKJV):

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.

… God who gives the Increase.

And Paul is telling us from this Scripture, that when we think about Increase, we don’t think about ourselves, and we don’t think about somebody else giving us the Increase because it is God who gives the Increase.

Somebody say: GOD WILL GIVE ME INCREASE.

You know, it is very easy for you to think somebody would give you the Increase; somebody would help you, somebody would be your breakthrough, somebody would be your favour but, it is God Who gives the Increase.

… There are few words I want to highlight in, as we begin our journey this Morning:

1. The first word is PLANTING.

… Paul says “I have Planted.

The word Planting means to set something in Place.

And in this instance Paul says: “I Planted.”

So Planting is the work of man – We plant, we set things in Place.

As this Year begins, many of us are going to Plant and we are going to set things in Place.

2. And the Second 5 word that Paul uses is WATERING.

That means to Nourish what has been set in Place.

That was also done by another Human Being.

Human being Planted, and another Human Being watered – “I Planted, and Apollos watered.”

We set things in Place: other People may help us, join us, or support us!

3. The Third word is INCREASE.

Increase means to grow and expand what has been set in Place.

“I Planted, Apollos watered what is Planted; and God Increased what is Planted”.

Increase is not in Paul’s domain or Apollo’s domain; Increase is the work of God.

So what Paul is telling us is that: You may work hard and People may help you to work hard. But the Increase doesn’t come from you or the People who helped you – Increase is totally a work of God! It is God Who gives the Increase. It is God Who increases us. It is God Who multiplies what we have Placed in His Hands.

A little boy brought five (5) loaves of bread and two (2) fishes.

It was put in Jesus’ Hand. It is Jesus Presenting it to the Father that brought Increase to what has been Presented.

So, we would do our Part to Plant, to water; but remember, Increase comes from God – God is the God of Increase.

Without God both Planting and Watering are futile – That is what the Scripture says.

Then 2 Corinthians 9:10 says: Now may He who supplies Seed to the Sower, and Bread for food, supply and multiply the Seed you have sown and increase the Fruits of your Righteousness,

1. God is the One Who Supplies the Seed – He gives us what to Plant!

So when you say I’m going to really work hard this Year; I’m going to start some business or I’m going to set something in Place. Or as a Church we are going to really Plan to grow and to Increase as a Church – The One Who gives us what is required to start the Process is God.

.. God Supplies the Seed! He gives us what to Plant.

For something to Increase it must first be Planted.

The Seed we Plant could be a Gift or Talent we have; it could be an idea that God inspires in us; it could be a small opportunity that God opens for us.

But whatever it is – It may be tiny, it may be small; it is God Who Supplies the Seed.

And this Year, may God Supply your Seed, may He give you opportunity, may He give you ideas, may He open doors for you, may He put thoughts into your Mind, may He visit you by Day and by Night – Amen.

… God is the Supplier of Seed.

2. The Second thing that I want to say is that, God is the Multiplier of Seed.

He Multiplies the seed! He grows what we Plant.

When a grain of corn is sown it Produces many grains of corn. When you drop one Seed of corn into the Earth, and it grows into a corn stock, it is going to have hairs of corn. And the average corn Plant will have between two (2) to four (4) hairs of corn.

And if you have been in corn farming before, many times when you grow your corn, the stock comes up and you see many hairs come out. A lot of them have only hair but no corn. You open it amdit’s empty. But you find about two of them had some corn on them.

Averagely every corn Plant Produces about two good hairs of corn. And sometimes four. Averagely every hair of corn has eight hundred (800) Channels of corn.

You Plant one corn, you have one hair of corn. And one hair of corn has eight hundred (800) Pieces of what you sowed. And if you have two of it, then you have a thousand six hundred.

That is called Multiplication!

Actually it’s more than Multiplication. This is something else Mathematical that I didn’t learn in School – It’s Exponential Growth.

So God says: He gives the Seed (The one you Plant) and then when you Plant it, He makes sure that you what you Plant as one is a thousand six hundred or whatever it may become.

Because God Supplies the Seed; and God Multiplies the Seed.

… But that is not all that God does!

3. The Third thing the Passage says that God does is that, He Increase Fruits.

That means that He uses what you have Planted to become a Blessing to other People.

He turns your Seed – which was tiny, which was small, which we Plant; He Multiplies it and it feeds People.

Because what Value is the corn if it is not Blessing People?

So, it becomes Fruit – A Blessing to other People.

WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE THE BIBLE IS TEACHING US HERE?

We Plant; other People may help us to water but Increase is always from God.

And the reason why we say Increase is from God is that even what we Plant – Which we think is ours to Plant came from God. And what Multiplied what we have Planted was done by God. And what uses what we have Multiplied to become a Blessing is the work of God.

He is the One Who gives the Seed, Multiplies the Seed and makes the Seed a Fruit to other People.

God is the GOD OF INCREASE – Every Increase we have experienced is influenced by the Power of God.

And that’s why it is so important in a Year of Increase like this, that we learn to trust in God Who gives the Increase.

People may help, People may not help you. But whether People water your Seed or they don’t water your Seed; God is the One Who gives the Increase.

Increase is in the Domain of God – Don’t put your eyes, Faith, expectations on somebody.

Maybe this Year somebody has already Promised you and say: “Hey, I will do you Good this Year!” Because the arm of flesh; even the best kind fails. But the Arm of the Lord never fails.

If you trust Him and believe Him for Increase this Year, remember who gives the Increase – God gives the Increase!

God is the One Who will Increase the little you have sown; God is the One Who will take the Seed you have sown; He is going to Multiply the Seed and He is going to make it a Blessing.

And sometimes you get People to help you, like Paul had Apollos to help him. But sometimes you don’t have anybody to help you.

But whether you have somebody to help you or nobody to help you; God is the Giver of the Seed, the Multiplier of the Seed and the One Who creates the Fruit out of the Seed – Don’t ever forget that!

Because somebody will disappoint you this Year!

Okay, you didn’t like that! – I will say it to the People here or those reading now on the label of DMC: Somebody will disappoint you this Year!

Whether you say Amen to it or not – Somebody will automatically disappoint you.

But whether you say Amen to it or not; GOD WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU – AMEN!!!

And God will not fail you – AMEN.

People may not support you; but God will give you the Increase!

Why? – Because He is THE GOD OF INCREASE.

That’s what Apostle Paul is saying.

So don’t really be focused on: “Who is helping my Watering.” Whether Apollos is helping me or not; he says don’t forget they are not.

Because God is the One Who gives the Increase! He gives the Seed, He Multiplies the Seed and He turns it into Fruit – And so keep your eyes on Him!

When People Promise to help you; thank them and watch what they do – Maybe they would keep their words. But don’t ever take your eyes off God. Because Somebody Promised you something.

You know sometimes People Promise you something and you stop Praying.

When People think they have no help they Pray. And somebody says, next week it’s coming. Prayer Meeting over!

Never take your eyes off the Lord.

Why? – Because He is the One Who gives the Increase.

Isaiah 51:1-2 – This is the Application of what I have taught. And it says:

“Listen to Me, you who follow after Righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn. And to the hole of the Pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”

“… I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”

God is saying – “This is how I dealt with Abraham; this is what I did for Abraham.”

But then He is saying, this is not just for Abraham. “What I did for Abraham I am also doing for all of you who follow after Righteousness and seek me.

So look at how I dealt with Abraham – For that is how I am going to deal with you.

… Listen to me ye who seek the Look. Look at the way I dealt with Abraham;

Because that is the way I am going to orchestrate your Life in Year 2022 – Amen.

And there are Three (3) things He says – I am going to walk us through them:

1. God says I called Abraham ALONE.

… Everybody say ALONE!

When God calls us alone it simply means that God does with us just as we are! – God Picks us as we are.

God called Abraham alone – That means that God called Abraham to be the father of many Nations when he had Nothing (He had no Child). And he spend many Years without a child.

2. That He BLESSED him (Abraham)”.

What does it mean ‘that he blessed him?’

It means God added Himself to Abraham.

… Abraham you are alone, but I have joined you.

And so when God called Abraham He said: Abraham, as you go through Life remember this – I am your Reward; me alone being with you is your Reward.

God calls you alone and He joins Himself to you; and when God joins Himself to you, you are no longer alone! Because God has joined Himself with you.

This year God will join you – Amen.

He calls you alone – With your challenges, difficulties, limitations; with your “I can’t do it”, “I don’t have it”, “I have messed up my life”, “I have made too many mistakes”, “Oh I am a disgrace”, “I am ashamed”, “Nobody would even believe me again”, “Nobody would trust me again”.

God says okay! That’s who you are, I take you from that rock – You are alone, you have no help. But now, I have joined you.

And when God joins you, He Changes to the Equation.

Because one of the Names of God is: “ThE LORD GOD OF HOST”.

The Lord of Host means of the Multitudes – The God of the Multitudes.

So you may be alone; but when God blesses you with Himself, you have the Multitudes of God with you.

This Year (2022), as you go through whatever you are going through in this Year of Increase, never say “I am ALONE”.

Because if you are seeking after Righteousness, and you are seeking the Lord; God says I have taken sides with you! I am with you, I am your Reward. You have the Host with you.

Abraham now who is alone has gone and with God He has the Host – The Multitudes with him. But he has no child.

There is no Physical Manifestation of the Spiritual Reality that God was with him. And for a Season, his name itself was a Mockery.

Because God has a way of doing things that you think He is embarrassing you.

Why didn’t He leave his name as Abram? That would have been fine! Everybody knows Abram means – ‘Exalted father”.

But then God says, Okay! Let’s take this a notch higher. I have Changed your name to ABRAHAM – Father of many Nations.

And for twenty five (25) Years, no child – And God didn’t adjust the name.

So can you imagine: Abraham goes to a Place and he is going to do Business and the Person says: “What’s your name?” He says, I am Abraham.

Oh wow! Father of many Nations – How many children do you have? None!

Then the Person looks to the Person beside him and says: “This guy doesn’t get it.” If you don’t have children, Change your name from father of many Nations to father or “Expectant Father”.

You can’t call the things which be not as though they were:

I. You can’t say you are blessed when you are broke.

II. You can’t say you are up when everybody sees you down. And God still says you are up!

What does that mean?

When God joins you, you, don’t Change your name, your Confession, your Faith, your Belief to conform to your Reality.

You maintain a Good Confession in the face of every Adversity because GOD IS WITH YOU.

So God says: “Abraham, I have blessed you; you are alone, I have blessed you with Myself.”

3. Then the Third thing that God says – The Bible says that God INCREASED Him.

God made him what He had called him to be! – He called him the father of many Nations and He made him that.

This Year (2022); may God make you what we have declared – Amen.

May you become the Personification of Increase – Amen.

In every areas of your Life, may you see Increase, the Favour of God, Abundance, Multiplication – Amen.

For a Season, it may seems that Increase is the opposite of your experience; but by 31st December 2022, Increase would Manifest in your Life – Amen!

You will Increase, you will become it – Amen.

Because God will not adjust your name to fit in the midst of your struggle. He still says, I am with you, I will Increase you – Amen!

He still says to you – When you have Nothing, when you are alone; I am with you and I have Increased you.

You seems to be alone, but you are a Multitude.

Somebody say – I AM MANY!

… And this is the Testimony that was declared about Abraham.

I like how Abraham’s Servant described him in Genesis 24:34-35.

This is what Abraham’s servant said about him – A man who used to be alone:

So he said, “I am Abraham’s Servant. The Lord has blessed my Master Greatly, and he has become Great; and He has given him flocks and herds, Silver and hold, Male and Female Servants, and camels and donkeys.

You can almost feel he is saying that with a lot of Confidence. Because if you are a Servant to Greatness, you say it with Confidence. But if you are a Servant to Servants, that’s not Good!

This is the man who was called alone, and God joined him and increased him.

And this is how Hebrews also describes Abraham – This is the Testimony it gives of Abraham. Hebrews 11:12 says:

Therefore from one Man, and him as Good as dead, were born as many as the Stars of the Sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

From one who is alone! – The God Who called Abraham alone Blessed him and increased him.

He said I didn’t do it just for Abraham – “Listen to Me, you who follow after Righteousness, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which I took you from. I called him ALONE, and I BLESSED him and I INCREASED him”

This would also be your Testimony in Year 2022 – Amen.

God says I called you ALONE, I BLESS you and I INCREASE you. Why? – Because He is the God of Increase.

You may not have anybody to water what you have Planted – You may not have an Encourager but you have God on your side.

The Lord stands with you, the Lord goes with you, the Lord is in the Boardroom with you, the Lord is on the road with you, the Lord is in the byways with you, the Lord is with you wherever you go!

The Lord says I an with you, I bless you and I Increase you!

And this Year (2022); may the Lord do for us what He did for Abraham- Amen.

I. You are cut from the the same Rock as Abraham.

II. The same God Who called Abraham is the One you worship and believe in.

III. The God Who blessed Abraham has joined Himself with you. You are His. You are His Partner in business and in life.

You are not doing your business alone. God is your Senior Partner He is the Chairman of your Board, He is the Controller of Decisions in your Business.

I. God would not leave you to shame.and disgrace.

II. God would not cause His Name to be disgraced.

III. God would honour His Name, Lift up His Name, Sanctify His Name.

IV. God would show the world that you are His, that you are called by His Name.

Those who trust in the Lord shall not be put to shame – Amen

This Morning, I declare to you: You are Blessed and God would Increase you – Amen.

And never ever think – “I am alone; I am Nobody.” Because God says I called Abraham alone – I joined Myself to him and blessed him. And I increased him abundantly.

May that be your Testimony in Year 2022.

May the God of Increase visit you; may He take the little one Seed you have – The little thing you have is Insignificant. And may He multiply it to feed the Nations of the world – Amen.

Lift up your hands everybody – Wherever you are now or reading this Message on the Label of DMC and begin to talk to the Lord and just say:

LORD, INCREASE ME ON EVERY SIDES – Increase me in Spirit, in Wisdom, in Understanding, in Faith. Increase me Lord in my Relationship with You. Increase me Lord. Increase my Capacity, Ability, my Strength. Increase Your Grace upon me.

Oh yes, talk to the Lord.

The Spirit of Increase rest upon you, the Anointing of Increase is upon you. The Lord visits you, the Lord touches you, Increases you, Multiplies you.

You are not alone, you are not fighting this alone, you are not in the Struggle alone. God is WITH YOU and He will not leave you nor forsake you!

CLOSING PRAYER

Father this Morning, we listened to you, and we hear what you say (read now on DMC Label) – That God called Abraham alone, Blessed him and You increased him because you care. You are the God of Increase.

So Lord, we submit ourselves to you this Morning; wherever we are in all that we do, may we Increase in our Spirits, Minds, Bodies, Properties, Assets, in our Faith.

In all that we do, may we see You expand us Exponentially Lord on every sides.

May we be Owners of Cities; may we have our twelve (12) baskets out of five (5) loaves of bread and two (2) fishes.

May our cup Overflow and cause us to Testify to You at the end of this Year (2022) and declare Your Praise to the Nations.

In Jesus’ Name – Amen and Amen!

Somebody give the Lord a Mighty shout and Praise – Hallelujah!!!

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