First Fruits Part 2

Posted by Paula White - Sun, December 27, 2009 at 11:46 AM

Click here to download the sermon notes for “First Fruits Part 2”.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you

“When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed, but increased…”
-C.S. Lewis

I. There is a High Calling
a. There is an utmost life
b. There is an “ascended life” in Christ that is a way of life available for you
i. A life of purpose, provision and the fullness of His presence
ii. To ascend = is to walk up, or step up

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(MESG) vs. 12-16 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.

c. We must make His presence a priority

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus

Made us sit together = (Greek) to give (or take) a seat in company with…

d. If God already gave me a seat…
i. In a “high place”
ii. In “ascended life”
iii. In a place “above”… then it’s time to “step it on up” and take my seat
1. God has a great quality of life for you, a unique destiny and purpose

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Abundantly = (Greek) in the sense of beyond, superabundant, quantity or superior in quality. By implication = Excessive

II. Preparing and Getting in Position
a. We want Gods best…
i. For our church
ii. For you
iii. For your family
iv. For your life
b. Therefore we must go back to the fundamentals
c. We must prepare and put into practice God’s principles and patterns

An all-star winning football team was being interviewed on why they were so good. They were asked, “What was the toughest game you have ever played?” and the answered, “PRACTICE. We never played a game tougher then coach made us practice”

d. Practice =
i. to carry out or apply
ii. a customary way of operation
iii. to learn by repetition
1. Great people practice regularly what average people do occasionally

Joshua 17:17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only

2. So as a ministry, we practice the patterns and principles of God that are so critical at the on-set of the year (or any new beginning or “first”)
a. 2010 is not just a new year, but a new decade

e. Patterns
i. The patterns of God (accurate order and arrangement of parts) is always in all things – First things First, or the principle of “First Fruits”

III. First Fruits
a. More then an offering
b. It is a foundational principle

Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

c. First Fruits = (Hebrew) reshiyth (ray-sheeth)
i. The first, in place, time, order or rank
ii. The beginning, chief, first or principle thing
iii. a captain or chief, excellent, forefront, principle, ruler, sum, top, summit, upper part, primary
1. First = the first occurrence or item of a kind
2. fundamental, basic essential
a. serving as a basis, supporting existence or determining essential structure or function
b. all things are supported by the basis

IV. God Wants to be First in Your Life
a. If we will gain Gods greatest blessings, we must embrace His highest purpose
b. He wants to be first…
i. In your life
ii. In the church
iii. In your business
iv. In your marriage
c. He wants His presence as your priority
i. When someone or something has priority, it has precedence, superiority in rank, position or privilege
ii. When we don’t set priorities, we tend to follow the path of least resistance, and that will not lead us to the “utmost” life

Exodus 20:3-5 No other gods, only me. No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am GOD, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

d. God is very serious about things and people being in proper order in our lives
e. When you don not put first things first, everything is out of order or in a state of chaos
i. Chaos = a state of extreme confusion and disorder

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints

Confusion = (Greek) akatastasis – instability, inconsistent and unstable

James 3:16 (NIV) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

V. What You Practice in Your Life Becomes Your Habits
a. Habits are actions repeated so frequent without thought
b. If your practices are evil (fouled and flawed) out of instability and inconsistencies then…
i. Habits develop character
ii. Character determines destiny (a course of inevitable events)

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Double minded = (Greek) two spirited or vacillating in opinion or purpose
Ways = (Greek) hodos – road, route, journey
It’s a life of faltering and fluctuations

c. To be unstable means = fickle, lack of control, not firm or fixed. Not steady in action or movement, wavering in purpose or intent
i. No one wants or enjoys a life driven from dysfunction
ii. When you are out of balance or alignment with Gods precepts, anything can become an external solution to calm the external chaos, but you don’t have to stay there!

d. All privileges are released through receiving and believing His word
i. The law of first things first has a fundamental impact on your life
ii. First fruits is a promise to come

Whatever you do with first fruit governs the rest and sets the pattern or promise to come for the rest of whatever you establish

1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

e. Jesus was the first born, and thus, He was the First Fruit
f. God always lays claim to the first things

Exodus 13:11-13 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’s. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

Exodus 22:29-30 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.

g. Whenever something is a first, God lays claim to it because God sees the first thing as representing what comes after it
i. The principle is = God sees according to how the first things are treated

Romans 11:6 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

When you honor God in obedience by presenting to Him all first things, His presence covers and blesses the rest, sanctifies it…

The law of first things is the “giving over” (or devotion) as required, of first born, first fruit… all things

They are an act of worship (or offering) in faith and they prove the position in which the giver holds God and is held by God…

First Fruits Part 2

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