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(Pastor Ron opened by recalling comments from his son Drew to him 4 yrs ago when he did the tithing series for 8 weeks.)

Isn’t it refreshing to hear again about the blessing and power of the tithe? I had one lady tell me this week she had always tithed, but last year sort of drifted away from it. She said the series had stirred the passion again, and she was full proof the 90% goes farther than the 100% every time!

If you have been tithing for a long time like we have, it’s very encouraging to hear the stories! If you are a beginner, I hope the messages have been encouraging you to trust God completely in this matter of tithing.

If you’re a young person, I want to be the pastor who speaks the principles of tithing into your spirit, and it becomes a way of life for your entire life.

Church, hear me now in this. You can trust God in this matter. He is faithful. He is reliable. He would never lead us to do something that would harm us.

God meant it when He said, “try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10

Don’t let anyone rob you of God’s wonderful promise!

The tithe is not just 10% of our income, but it is the FIRST 10%. And that’s a very important point to get. Look at our text – Exodus 23:19a.

Today = 10 Truths About The Tenth

1. First Things Always Belong To God

The first-fruit of the crops, first-born, first things always belongs to God.

So the first-fruit of our day, the first-fruit of our income, belongs to God. God always wants our best right off the top. He doesn’t want our leftovers. He wants the first, and He wants the very best of what we have to offer.

2. The First Fruit is Always Sacrificed To God

When the Children of Israel came into the Promised Land, the very first city they attempted to conquer was Jericho. So Jericho became the First-fruits of the Promised Land. In essence, Jericho was their tithe. Therefore, Jericho belonged completely to God and was to be completely sacrificed.

They were not allowed to touch one thing that which was devoted to God.

Later on, God told them to take plunder of the cities they had captured.

But at Jericho they could were not to touch the tithe. They could not say, “God, we’ve been poor slaves for years and now we’re finally coming into our own. Just let us take a few things. We’ll give you our offering later.” God said, “No, give me the first-fruits now and I will give you MORE later.”

3. The First-Fruit Sets The Tone For The Rest of the Harvest

In other words, if I give God His tithe first, then the other 90% is blessed.

Jesus Christ is an example of this. He was the first-fruits of resurrection life. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus experienced victory over death first so that the rest of mankind could too. His experience was the first-fruits and set the tone for the rest of humanity and passed down God’s blessing.

4. The First-Fruit Has Redemptive Power

Not only did Christ pass down resurrection life, but complete forgiveness of our sins because He was the first-fruits sacrificed for us.

The number 10 actually means redemption. i.e. the 10 commandments.

So the 10% tithe buys back the other 90% and makes it blessed of God.

5. Abraham Had To Lay Down His First-born On The Altar First

If you know this amazing story, you know the Abraham waited 24 years for God’s promise to come to pass. At the ripe old age of 99 he had a son with his wife Sarah. It was a miraculous birth to be sure.

And then, when the boy was about 16 God told Abraham to do something strange, something that defied logic: “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

At stake was the issue of whether Abraham was willing to lay down his first-born and trust God even though it made NO SENSE AT ALL.

God provided a lamb AFTER Abraham had climbed the mountain and laid the first-fruit of his body on the altar. The sacrificial lamb was not there until Abraham first laid it down.

And that’s exactly how it is with you and me in our finances. Tithing is a trust issue, even when it makes no sense to our natural mind.

6. The Tithe Is The First Part of The Whole

I took this loaf of bread and cut it up into 10 equal parts. Each piece of the loaf would be one tenth of the loaf or 10%, right?

But let me ask you a question. Which piece of bread would be the first-fruits of the loaf? It can only be one piece, and that would be the first one.

There can only be one first-fruit in our increase, and that’s exactly the piece that belongs to God.

Again, Exodus 23:19 “The first of the first-fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.”

7. Every Time I Receive An Increase The First Part Belongs To God

I know I’m being repetitive, but it’s very important we get it. I want you to notice the emphatic language of Deuteronomy 14:22, “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.”

The way that verse is worded begs the question Is it possible to be tithing,

but not truly tithing? Yes, absolutely. First fruits first bring God’s blessings and favor. And that’s the biblical pattern.

So people always ask, “do I tithe on the gross or the net? Do I tithe on this and on that?” I always say only tithe on what you want God to bless. It’s really that simple.

8. Purpose in Your Heart To Put God First In First-Fruits – 2 Corinthians 9

God doesn’t want us to tithe with a begrudging heart. He doesn’t want us to tithe out of a sense of arm twisting, but with a sense of expectancy and joy.

9. Expect God To Work Through First-Fruit Giving

Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first-fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

10. Expect A Crop To Grow Through First-Fruit Sowing

Let’s wrap it up with a classic passage – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.

You may feel the tithing message will bring you into financial bondage, when in fact it is meant to bring people into wonderful liberty!

Testimony:

After the Christmas break I sat down and scheduled my tithing commitment into my budget. I had been holding on to the belief that I wasn’t making enough to save for my living expenses and tithe too. I simply decided to trust God’s Spirit enough to let go of that belief, to let go of my fear and doubt, and made the decision to tithe. I realized I don’t have enough money to run the budget but I decided I would just leave my budget the way it is and the Spirit of God would find a way to make ends meet. It would be fine. The feeling and amazing sense of security and trust over my financial situation that I now have; it has transformed my life entirely. I have experienced a new kind of freedom and it’s truly liberating. I am happier every day! My mind feels clearer. I’m accomplishing a lot of other goals and finding success in many other parts of my life. All of a sudden my responsibilities feel somehow easier and more manageable. Quite dramatically I feel as if this amazing weight has been lifted off my shoulders—I don’t worry about money anymore. Oh My Lord, what a wonderful feeling this is!”