Foundations of Blessing Week 3
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Fix the Foundation First
Fix the Foundation First
Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.
Here are a few things you need to know......
We are currently in a series called Foundations of Blessing. Over the course of the next several weeks we are going to be studying How our generosity is the foundation for which God Blesses every aspect of our lives. If you missed the last two weeks the message is available on Youtube, Facebook, and RightNow Media.
The structure of everything in our lives is dependent upon the strength of our foundation, so we need to build our lives on the unchanging truth of God’s Word. From last week’s message we learned that: 1. Tithing is a test of our heart. 2. Tithing is biblical. 3. Tithing is a blessing. Just because those things are true doesn’t make tithing easy nor does it shift my brain to quickly say, “Hey, I can’t wait to tithe!” No. This is a major sacrifice. It’s a challenge, just like living a life in love with Jesus is a challenge, amen?
Before we start would you join me in praying.
Today, we are talking about First Fruits!
Today, we are talking about First Fruits!
The Principle of First Fruits may be one of the most important principles that you ever grab onto in your walk with God. Why does God give us principles, ordinances, and commandments? Because, God is a God of Order. Church, if God is first in our lives, then everything in our lives will come into order.
Sure, you still may have difficulties. In fact Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we would face trouble in this World.
Here is the deal, would you rather have difficulties with everything in order or out of order?
If God is first in your life, everything else will come into order. It’s remarkable what will happen when an individual or a couple makes a firm decision to start putting God first.
In the Bible there are more than 500 verses on Prayer, there are nearly 500 verses on Faith, get this there are more than 2000 verses on money. 16 of Jesus’ 38 parable concerned money. I believe that the principles God is laying out on money that will break it’s grips on the believers heart and begin to build a foundation of generosity that will effect everything that surrounds us.
Tithing, otherwise known as the first fruits, for most Christians is not an urgent ordinary Christian behavior. Why?
Stephen Covey said it well when he said, “…in our fast-paced, always-connected world, it’s very easy to live our lives ruled by ‘the tyranny of the urgent.’”
What is urgent in our lives today in 2021?
Not treasures in heaven, right?
What is urgent? Bills, Kids, what to eat. One of my buddies puts it this way Bills, Meals, and Feels.
As a result, we order our priorities all wrong. Speaking of priorities, what did God say must come first in our lives?
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
That’s pretty clear? In the very first commandment God lays out very clearly: if I’m not first in your life, then I’m last in your life.
Do you think Jesus might have been referring to this commandment when He answered this question:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
We live in a world is filled with attractive and enticing candidates for our worship and our sacrifice. You know it is true. This might explain why John the Beloved, a disciple of Jesus Christ, wrote this in
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
John is pointing out the truth that is self-evident: whatever you seek out first is what you worship. Look at Jesus’ thoughts about whether we have hearts that worship God first or not when He said in
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
What did Jesus consider to be the chief competitor for our hearts?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.
15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
In other words, our obedience to God’s principles reveals the condition of our hearts. This brings us to the first fruits. The principle of the first fruits runs throughout the entire bible.
Turn with me to
1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s.
13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
If you don’t give the first to God, you’re still going to lose it.
If you don’t give the first to God, you’re still going to lose it.
Today I have three points that will help us to understand the principle of First Fruits. I truly believe this is the most important message of the entire series. I believe if you put these points into practice it will totally change your life.
Point number 1
1. The firstborn must be sacrificed or redeemed.
1. The firstborn must be sacrificed or redeemed.
How do you know what you are supposed to do with the animal? Do I sacrifice it or redeem it? It all depends on the type of animal.
A Donkey is referenced here because it is an unclean animal. It isn’t viewed as a sacrificial animal.
A lamb is viewed as a clean animal, therefore, it can be sacrificed to redeem an unclean animal.
Do you see the parallel here God is setting up a system of redeeming that which is unclean.
Are we born Clean or Unclean.
Parents when your child was born, did they have to be taught how to be bad?
No.
Therefore, when we are born, are we born spiritually clean or unclean?
UNCLEAN.
Just like the donkey. We have to be taught how to be good.
When Jesus was born, was He born unclean or clean?
CLEAN!
The clean animal must be sacrificed for the unclean animal. The clean animal can redeem the unclean animal. And the only clean animal that can redeem an unclean animal is the firstborn. The firstborn clean animal is sacrificed for the unclean animal.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Church, Jesus is God’s tithe.
Why? Because God gave Jesus first, while we were still sinners. And God is doing this to teach us an ordinary Christian behavior. Jesus is God’s tithe. We don’t need to speak negatively about tithing. Tithing is a behavior that God instituted to deal with our hearts. We give our tithe first because God gave His tithe first, therefore God gave us an example of faith. He gave Jesus first, before we got our lives together. He gave Jesus first to teach us generosity and to stretch our faith.
Last week we touched on the fact that the Tithe might be more important to Jesus than you think. After hearing this do you think the Tithe might mean more to God the Father than you could have ever imagined.
If you were a shepherd, and you have a sheep that is about to give birth. God doesn’t want you to wait until your sheep has 10 babies, before you sacrifice the firstborn. God wants you to have the faith to give of the firstborn or the first fruits before you’ve seen an increase. It’s a matter of your heart. It takes faith to give the first when you don’t have more. This is a principle throughout scripture. The first must be sacrificed in order to redeem the rest. Why did God invent tithing? It isn’t to support the work of the ministry. That isn’t why He invented it. Do you really think God needs your money? No. Tithing wasn’t invented for God’s sake, but it was invented for our sake. God wants the first 10%, not for the percentage or for an amount. God wants the first 10% so we will exercise our faith and learn to trust God for the 90%.
Do you remember what God says about receiving the first fruits?
7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
– You have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. … “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me!” But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” “In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me…”
God says that we rob Him when we don’t give our first to Him.
2. The first fruits must be offered.
2. The first fruits must be offered.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
God wants to be first!
19 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God. “You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Notice the word BRING! I looked up numerous versions of this scripture, and every single one I read said, “BRING your first fruits.” God only uses the word bring when talking about tithing because you cannot give what doesn’t belong to you.
You can either bring your tithe or keep it, but you can’t designate it.
We must simply return it to the storehouse.
There are two choices when it comes to the first fruits. You can bring it or you can steal it.
19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”
Do you know where the treasury of the LORD was located? In the Temple. The storehouse. God said to bring all the silver and gold, not just a tithe, when the Israelites defeated Jericho. Why? Because Jericho was the FIRST city the Israelites defeated, and the first goes to God. The first portion can bless the rest.
Do you remember the story of Cain and Abel? Do you remember Cain’s offering wasn’t accepted by God?
3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,
4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
God couldn’t accept Cain’s offering because God can only ALWAYS be first.
Cain gave what Cain wanted to give, when he wanted to give it.
Cain was angry and his countenance, his attitude, fell. He wasn’t received by God, so he became angry. But it was his choice in the beginning to do what he decided to do. This is all about our heart. Remember the words of Jesus?
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
3. The tithe must be first.
3. The tithe must be first.
The firstborn was given to God. The first fruits were given to God. The first of our labor and the first of our increase, is all given to God.
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
God isn’t asking for all of it, He’s just asking for 10%.
This is sacrificial.
This calls for faith.
This calls for trust.
Illustration: Kitchen Remodel – After labor and all other cost, profit is $1000. Which $100 do you give God?
If God doesn’t receive the first out of your hand, then He won’t and He can’t accept any of it.
God is not going to Bless your leftovers.
13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
God will not bless the left overs.
You see when we look negatively at tithing, we are actually looking negatively upon something that God created to save our souls.
Jesus is the firstborn and the first fruit. Tithing breaks the curse and it is for our own good. Who breaks the curse of sin off our lives?
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
Dad…why do we sacrifice all the animals? What is that all about? Aren’t we trying to make money?
And we are to say to them, “I was once a slave! We weren’t always in the ranching business! At one time, we had nothing…BUT GOD!
We had no way to get free from bondage…
BUT GOD! I gladly give my first fruits to God.
Why?
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS FIRSTBORN AND ONLY SON, TO REDEEM ME FROM MY UNCLEAN LIFE!
Would you stand with me.
Salvation/
Holy Spirit…what are you saying to me today through this message?
Practical Application:
a. Don’t start tithing until you receive your next paycheck.
b.You can give online or take one of our offering envelopes. Let the first check or cash you withdraw go back to God.
c. If God hasn’t been faithful after an entire year of tithing, we will return 100% of your tithe.