Next Level Generosity

 

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Pericope: Leviticus 23:9-14 - 9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Sermon Text: Leviticus 23: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest

Sermon Title:  Next Level Generosity

BP:  Move the hearers to give first fruit

Review:

What is First Fruit?  The significance of this holy day, like most other biblical festivals…

When is it given? The feast of the first fruits were held consecutively on the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth days of the first month of the Jewish calendar.   "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest'" (Leviticus 23:9–10).

How is it given? Lev. 23:9-10 - "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest'"

Why did they do it? Gen. 4 – Cain and Abel - 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

Examples of First Fruit – Romans 11: 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Ex. 22: 29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. “You must give me the firstborn of your sons.;

Neh. 10: 35 “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.

2 Chr 31: 5 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.

1 Cor. 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

The impact of first fruit – Makes the whole holy - Romans 11:16 - 16If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

·      Pleases God - Jer. 2:3 - Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,' " declares the LORD.

Place of first fruits – Matthew 6:3333 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

First Fruit Giving – Lev. 23:9-24

·      Exodus 22:29 - 29 "Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. "You must give me the firstborn of your sons.

Results of First Fruit/Tithing – Blessing upon Blessing

Proverbs 3 –  5 Trust in the LORD

Context:  It is imperative that we address the time or when in the text.  Genesis…Exodus…Numbers…Leviticus…Deuteronomy…Joshua

Now we can teach the why of this text which reveals the points…

Point 1:  Dependency – Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Point 2: Declaration – Deut. 26:1-5 - When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.

Point 3: Delivers on His Promises – Deut 28:1-8 - If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

Life Application:

1.  Give your first fruit

2.  Join a LifeGroup