PART 2 - FIRST, BRING

NEW series: Catch u up if you are just joining us // “FIRST” what does it look like, in the word, what it looks like to PUT GOD FIRST.

If you have your bibles turn with me to exodus 13 and Malachi 3.

Matt 6:33 “33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Heres the ground we’ve covered already: God is a God of created ORDER. He is NOT A GOD OF CHAOS.

However we live in a CHAOTIC world, but we can LIVE with the peace and the order of Christ.

So if God is FIRST....

Couple of themes we need to grab a hold of and zoom in on for this series:

“Its impossible for God to occupy second place”

..... Which leads to how i can live and what God shows me is this:

“I will never come second when i put God first”.

JESUS gave us the KEY to PRIORITY: God first, everythung else will fall into place.

so that was part 1: FIRST, GOD,

today part 2: FIRST, BRING

Malachi 3:10-12 “10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”

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pray: Holy Spirit - COME.

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I couldnt talk about a GOD FIRST life without taking a moment and teach us (maybe a revision lesson for some) about the power of the TITHE as a believer. and what Tithing does for us.

What is Tithing or “the Tithe”.

Well its mentioned in Genesis. But we really see the formation of this coming out of exodus with the consecration of the FIRST BORN.

Chapter 12 is the exodus itself after the plagues. But in chapter 13 we see the “consecration of the first born” and this GODLY principle outlined for us. and this is essentially where we get this from. This is the HOLY PORTION to God.

Tithe simple means a tenth

But the PRINCIPLE of the FIRST TENTH as we know it as BELIEVERS comes from Gods command regarding the FIRST, What COMES FIRST?

God does!

and im going to SHOW this to you and i want you to see how direct and how CLEAR God makes it

Its SO CLEAR its impossible to MISS:

Exodus 13:1-2 “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.””

So the Tithe is Tenth, but to be MORE specific, its the FIRST TENTH. Because its FIRST.

What comes first, is HOLY TO GOD. We see this ALL THE WAY through SCRIPTURE

This is the PRINCIPLE of FIRST,. WHat comes FIRST is God’s.

(But as an example - this is why when Joshua led the ISRAELITES, the FIRST City , JERICHO, was Set aside for God and the people were not aloud to Plunder it).

SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT PUTTING GOD FIRST WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FINANCES:

1.TITHING.... IS BRINGING.

I almost called this message “FIRST Giving.... which would have almost DONE It. but it wouldnt be gettung to the HEART of the message,.

When you brought you TITHE you didnt GIVE that To GOD.

You cannot GIVE - WHat isnt yours.

Exodus 13:2 “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.””

Vs 12

Exodus 13:12 “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.”

God is FIRST.

When you TITHE you BRING your TITHE> you DOnt GIVE it, you DONT PAY it tO GOD… you BRING IT. Its BROUGHT.

notice the language in Malachi 3:10 “10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Tithing is BRINGING.

*we dont take up an offering in our church. We recieve it. We dont take anything - what is brought and what is GIVEN is recieved. No one has to give anything in our church and i believe our church will always be blessed and have all that we need as long as we teach people what it means to PUT God first in EVERY Area of our lives...

****STORY: this revelation came to be FAIRLY early on in my walk with God. at first i was like WHAT do you MEAN the FIRST 10% is Gods? but i was the one who went out and earned it.... didnt it? well - Actually NO. God provided that Job you have which is how you are blessed to be able to live the life He’s called you to live!

..... My perspective changed. I never looked at my income, my increase, my wages ever the same again. I understood this all comes from him....and so i began to tithe. i’ve told this story before but before we had online giving the only was to bring your tithe to church was to send it via the internet, write a check, or bring cash. And i had things being debited like my rent and my health insurance etc - so every two weeks i would take my tithing envelope from Church which i always kept in my bible and i would go to the ATM/Cash machine first thing on a Tuesday morning (Westpac ATM cash machine in martin place) on my way to work.. and i would TAKE THE TITHE OUT FIRST. BEFORE I USED ANY OF THE REST OF IT. I WAS METICULOUS THAT IT WAS THE FIRST

why?

Because i had got this revelation. Whatever is FIRST, is the Lords. SET IT APART to HIM.

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I did not and i do not want the mortgage company, the credit card company or anyone else GETTING what is ONLY MEANT FOR GOD.

(i’m telling you - this is a principle by which we can live our whole lives: God-P{RIORITY).

2.TITHING IS.... TRUSTING

SO why then is it important that its the FIRST,

Well this is what.

because it takes a FAITH AND A TRUST in God

that if I BRING THE FIRST TEN, there is going to be enough at the end.

Its about HONORING God, and SAYING to GOD - I trust you on the front end… even when i DONT know HOW THIS IS gonna work out, i choose to trust you. I choose to PUT MY FAITH in YOU and I TRUST YOU AT YOUR WORD LORD.

Because EMBEDDED in the PRINCIPLE of Tithing, is TRUSTING.... and ALLOWING God to BLESS ALL THAT HES LEFT IN YOUR HANDS.

Tithing is TRUSTING:

Tithing is about a HEART POSTURE OF FAITH.

My Money is CONNECTED to MY HEART.

(I wanna say something strong here so please remember i’m your pastor - so what i’m about to say is going to SOUND a bit pastoral - SO STICK WITH ME)

If you want to show me your priorities, show me where your money goes.

Now i’m not asking - but i want you to think about it...

if your priority is GOD… You can see it in where you he FITS in the PRIORITY LIST.

If you love God, you Put him FIRST IN EVERY AREA. and if you aren’t then there is probably something GOING on in YOUR HEART thats between you and God, and needs ATTENTION.

SO

Trusting that God will come through on his promises:

THAT HES GONNA BLESS

HES GONNA COME THROUGH AND OVER

BUT THAT ALSO....

THAT HES GONNA PROTECT

(HERE IS SOMETHING you’ve maybe never thought of when it comes to tithing. or maybe never heard talked about in church - God blesses but he also takes care of what He gives you

Thats embedded in the promise as well.....

Mal 3:10-11 “10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”

Food in the HOUSE.

Testing God in HIS GOD-NESS

Trusting that he will

open the windows of HEAVEN FOR YOU

and POUR down blessings FOR YOU

HE WILL ALSO DO what?

GO THE EXTRA MILE. which GOD ALWAYS DOES.

HE WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR YOU!

This is the greatest mechanism for economic blessing and protection that exists on the earth today. There is no GREATER person who can bless you than GOD.

SO WHY DO WE STRUGGLE WITH THIS? BECAUSE ITS A HEART THING.

3.TITHING IS.... GODLY.

You’ve probably heard a preacher say something like this “You’ll never be more like God when you give”… and they’ll throw out John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

But i want you to consider this...

if Tithing is

Bringing the best, the first

Its trusting in Gods plans

Isn’t JESUS GIVEN to US… GOD GIVING that to us the best of what GOD has. what Heaven has.?

Scripture says that there is a reason we tithe

Exodus 13:14-15 “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.’”

SO IF WE ARE CALLED TO BE GOD_LIKE in a GODLESS WORLD. We shoudl take the example of our father… and we should bring our best to GOD… and to GOD ALONE.. because he is FIRST.

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“What is the Holy Spirt Saying to you?”