Pericope: 2 Cor. 9:6-15ESV - 6 The point is this: whoever

sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows

bountifully[a] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give

as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under

compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is

able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all

sufficiency[b] in all things at all times, you may abound in

every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food

will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase

the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in

every way to be generous in every way, which through us

will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this

service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is

also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their

approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your

submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of

Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and

for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you,

because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Sermon Text: 2 Cor. 9: 10 He who supplies seed to the

sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed

for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Sermon Title: I Got Receipts

Verse 1-5 - Now it is superfluous for me to write to you

about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness,

of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia,

saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your

zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending[a] the

brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove

empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you

would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me

and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to

say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it

necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and

arrange in advance for the gift[b] you have promised, so that

it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

Mark 12:41-44 - 41 And he sat down opposite the

treasury and watched the people putting money into the

offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a

poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which

make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and

said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in

more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she

out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had

to live on.”

Deuteronomy 16: 16 “Three times a year all your males shall

appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will

choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of

Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear

before the Lord empty-handed.

Let's get more in 24 by learning and giving first fruit. We will

cover:

• What

• When

• How

•Why

• Difference between first fruit and tithe

•Examples

•Impact

•Power

•Results

Historical Context:

•What is First Fruit? Lev. 2:12 You may bring them to

the LORD as an offering of the first fruits, but they are

not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma.–

specified as first fruit; distinguished it from other

offerings.

o Jeremiah (2:3 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.)

• When is it given? Exodus 22:29 "Do not hold back

offerings from your granaries or your vats." You must

give me the firstborn of your sons.– shows it as your

increase (raise)

• 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? God claims the first fruits of

everything. He has first claim on our lives.

Is there a difference between First Fruits and Tithes

Examples of First Fruit –

1. Romans 16:5 - 5Greet also the church that meets

at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus,

who was the first convert to Christ in the province

of Asia.

2. 1 Cor. 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised

from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have

fallen asleep.

3. 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.

4. Proverbs 3 – 5 Trust in the LORD with all your

heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will

make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in

your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8

This will bring health to your body and

nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD

with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your

crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to

overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new

wine.

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.

Power of first fruits – 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. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from

some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with

favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering

he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his

face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why

are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what

is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what

is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you,

but you must master it." 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel,

"Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field,

Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him 12 When you

work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You

will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 Cain said to the

LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today

you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from

your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,

and whoever finds me will kill me"

• Place of first fruits – Nehemiah – man of God

• Christmas shopping vs. first fruits matter of

priorities you didn’t think about changing/increasing

your limit, etc. why are you questioning whether you

can give God extra wasn’t God good….

• First Fruit Giving – Lev. 23:9-24

• Honors God

•Sets you up for blessings

• Required –

o Exodus 22:29 - 29 "Do not hold back

offerings from your granaries or your vats."

You must give me the firstborn of your sons.

o Neh. 10:35 - 35 "We also assume

responsibility for bringing to the house of the

LORD each year the first fruits of our crops

and of every fruit tree."

o 2 Chr. 31:5 - 5 As soon as the order went out,

the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of

their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all

that the fields produced. They brought a great

amount, a tithe of everything.

Results of First Fruit/Tithing – Blessing upon Blessing

• Barns filled

• Barns overflowing

• Rebuke the devourer – Mal. 3:11 - 11 I will prevent

pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your

fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.

•Invoke the supernatural – Mal. 3:10 – 10 Bring the

whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food

in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty,

" and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of

heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not

have room enough for it. - you have been trying to

come out from under debt your way

Conclusion: [Due season Ps. 1:3 3 He is like a tree planted

by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and

whose leaf does not wither.] Why aren’t you being blessed?

What’s wrong with your finances? You may be getting what

you sowed, not what you are sewing. Harvest takes time.