First Fruits Part 3

Posted by Paula White - Sun, January 03, 2010 at 11:58 AM

Click here to download the sermon notes for “First Fruits Part 3”.

Leviticus 27: 26-30 (NIV) No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the LORD; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s. 27 If it is one of the unclean animals, he may buy it back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If he does not redeem it, it is to be sold at its set value. But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD -whether man or animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; he must be put to death. A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

Vs. 32 (KJV) And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

I. Prioritizing Our Life with the Presence of God
a. A tenth shall be holy to the Lord
i. Holy = (Hebrew) a sacred place or thing
b. The first sets the pattern and pace for the rest, it governs it
c. This month (January) sets the “tone” for the entire year
i. 2010 is not only a new year, but a new decade
d. We are in a ‘kairos’ moment
i. It’s a pivotal season in which something profound and significant is destined to take place
ii. The effectiveness of a ‘kairos’ moment (where God’s sovereignty meets mans destiny) is tied to whether or not we are “on time”
1. Have you ever missed an appointment?
2. Worse then missing a moment is you cannot seize a moment if first you do not know it has arrived

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil

iii. When you discern you are in a divine moment (2010 = 10th is holy to the Lord) you are to redeem it, or buy it back
iv. Make a decision today that you will stop delaying your destiny
v. You will be a pro-active producer rather then a prosaic procrastinator

Luke 9:62 (MESG) Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”

II. Today You Will Move Forward – A New Beginning
a. Move toward the fulfillment of prophecies over your life!
i. You can begin again!
ii. You are a pioneer!
iii. Do not bind others or yourself with the words…
1. “you always”
2. “you never”
iv. Give the gift of a “new beginning” and the grace to start over!
1. a brand new day
2. a new moment
3. a new year
4. a new season for your life
b. You can change the “predictable” into the “possible” when you recognize the “at-handedness” of your promised future

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel

Repent = (Greek) to think differently or afterwards, to reconsider
c. Repentance is a call forward
i. It’s a call into the things of God
1. into His principles
2. into His presence
3. into His patterns
d. When you walk in light, you leave darkness

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life

John 3:20-21 (NIV) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God

e. God s calling you forward and to abandon the stale and unproductive patterns of conduct holding you back

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

III. Tell 2010…
a. “I am stepping into the full expression and manifestation of my God promise!”
i. #10 = the perfection of divine order
ii. Completeness of order
iii. Marking the entire round of anything = “full cycle”
1. Nothing wanting
2. The # and the order are perfect
3. The whole cycle is complete
b. The chaos and disorder around you in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 was a necessary mean to a “new beginning”
i. The natural messiness of the “birth process”

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful

c. You have been commissioned to bring new things into old situations
d. You will walk in the expressions of a new order
i. The whole cycle is complete

IV. First Things First
a. You have to resist religious restraints that regulate and reduce God to a managed and monitored system and let your spiritual eyes and ears be opened to the word of the Lord in every place at all times and in all situations… to esteem His word and His ways higher then your necessary food, even…
i. if that is strange to your finite mind
ii. or inconveniences you or pulls you out of your comfort zone
1. God wants His promise as your priority
a. This wont always be convenient or comfortable
b. Remember the pattern of God is always and in all things “First Things First” or the principle of First Fruits
i. The accurate order and arrangement of things

Leviticus 27:28 Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.

b. Devoted things and first things have the exact same meaning
i. The irrevocable giving over to the Lord
ii. They are things that belong to God and God alone
1. to Devote = to commit by a solemn act, to give over, to give directly… such things as time, money or an effort
2. Devotion is the highest expression of dedication to God
3. It cannot be done without giving (which is the law of loving)
4. Devotion is proof of Gods presence being priority
5. All “first things’ are devoted things, they belong to God

Exodus 13:1-3 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal.” Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast

Commemorate “remember” = (Hebrew) zakar – properly , to mark (so as to be recognized, as a male of man or animals of being most worthy) = First Fruits

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

Wealth = (Hebrew) a force – whether of men, means or other resources. An army, wealth, virtue, valor, or strength

Vs. 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day

V. Principles of First Things First
a. God Claims the right to everything first
i. Anytime something is a first thing, a first fruit, or a devoted thing, it belongs to God
b. God sees the first things as the root of governing all the rest
i. Romans 11:6
c. The first represents the total
i. Whatever the first portion is used for determines what happens to the rest. Exodus 22:29-30
• If a first thing is consecrated to the Lord then it sanctifies the rest, or covers it with His presence, endorsement and blessing
• A first thing is a fundamental principle or a basis supporting existence or determining essential structure or function
• It is the one thing that affects or governs everything that follows it, it sets the pace and pattern
• The first is so powerful that Adams fall dictated the entire pattern for all mankind

Romans 5:14-15 (NIV) Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
(a first fruit)

Vs. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

• Jesus set a new order, or pattern because He was the first born of God (a first fruit) … He could establish a new governing to mankind

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (NIV) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

VI. Jesus, as the First Fruit, Governs the Rest
a. You are the partaker of the divine nature of God
b. You are the shareholder in His authority
c. Because you are being conformed to His image, you will re-produce after your own kind (bringing many sons and daughters to glory)

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

d. Christ set a new pattern for all mankind
i. Jesus, as the first fruits, now governs the rest

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

e. When God looks at you, He sees the image of His son
f. As a joint heir with the one who has been given all authority and power in heaven and earth
g. Because the first sets the pattern and pace for the rest, when I bring “my first” to Him, He covers the rest!
h. There is a designated starting point to all new beginnings

Ezekiel 44:30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.

• When the man or woman of God receive the first fruit offering, that he/she may cause…
I. Blessing = (brakah) (Hebrew) prosperity
II. To rest = (Hebrew) to settle down, to dwell or stay
III. In thine “house” = (Hebrew) family, (root) builders, children = generations
• It’s your new beginning

Are you ready? Accept the new beginning in every area of your personal world, even if they challenge your comfort zones…

Are you ready? Prophesy, voice your vision and declare your dreams…

Are you ready? Honor the Lordship of Jesus as the highest priority in your life.

First Fruits Part 3

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