In continuation of our sermon: The Man, Abraham; we want to consider one of Abraham’s steps, thus the subtopic: First fruit. Understand that God will not ask you what He hasn’t given to you. This means that all that God is requiring us to do, there’s always the grace to do them.
Text: Romans 4:12, John 8:39-42, Genesis 22:1, John 3:16, 1Corinthians 15:20, Exodus 11:4-6, Exodus 12:25, Exodus 13:2, 12, Exodus 23:16, Romans 11:16, Numbers 3:11-13, Exodus 22:29, Malachi 3:10-11.
Of course, we now know that only those who do the works of Abraham are Abraham’s children. There was a discourse with the Pharisees and Jesus, whilst the Pharisees were claiming to be Abraham’s children, Jesus expounded to them, that you don’t claim that by mouth, because Abraham had works, and it is doing the works of Abraham that prove that you are his children. Jesus plainly told them that they are of their father, the devil. The devil has his deeds, so is God, and the characters you demonstrate show where you come from.
The first fruit is not tithe (not one tenth); it is all. Abraham had done several things in accordance with God’s instruction, had refused to be enriched by another man, had met with Melchizedek and gave him tithe of all, his wife was taken twice, and in all, Abraham kept walking with God. After these things, God came to Abraham, and told him to go sacrifice his only son -Isaac. Why do you think God requested for Isaac? Because he was the first fruit of Abraham. The natural promised seed Abraham labored in faith for was Isaac, not Ishmael.
If we would place the precedence of first fruit right, God was the first to give His first fruit -for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, (John 3:16). If God did not sacrifice Jesus Christ, He cannot have us. The first fruit He sowed, yielded many sons -that we are today. Paul told us that Jesus Christ is the first fruit among many brethren. If not for Christ, there would be no church. God had to sacrifice His first fruit to have lots more. If God gave His first fruit to us, we owe Him our first fruit.
First fruit is a sacrifice! Those who reap in joy are those who sowed in tears. God killed all the firstborn in Egypt because of the children of Israel. That was why God requested for all their firstborns. It costed God when He gave His only son, He wasn’t laughing, in fact, at a point, darkness filled the whole earth, because God could not behold such sacrifice. God instructed the children of Israel to give, even the first of the first fruit of their land, the firstling of their cattle.
In Romans 11:16, the bible says to us that if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy. How can your first fruit be holy? It is by giving it to the Holy God. The blessing of God is dependent on your obedience to principles, prayer doesn’t bring blessing, prayer makes you spiritual. To be blessed of God, you obey the divine law for blessing. You redeem the rest of your fruit with your first fruit.
This is one of the ways to break limitations, failures and disappointment, God is bound to protect your proceeds, when you honor Him with your first fruit.