God Must Be First

Union Chapel Ministries

God Must Be First

January 8, 2023 • Gregg Parris • Deuteronomy 15:10, Deuteronomy 23:20, Exodus 13, Deuteronomy 28:1–15, Deuteronomy 14:29

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Deuteronomy 28:1-15

“Bring in the tithe…so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”

Deuteronomy 14:29

“Give generously to him (your needy brother) and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”

Deuteronomy 15:10

“You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.”

Deuteronomy 23:20

I. Firstborn

“Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine…That you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.”

Exodus 13:2,12-13

The principle of the firstfruits is very, very powerful.

It always requires faith to give the first.

II. Firstfruits

“The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.”

Exodus 23:19

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Proverbs 3:9-10

III. Tithe

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.”

Malachi 3:8-9

“So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this?” that you shall say to him, “By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharoah was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first born of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.”

Exodus 13:14-15

Do Whatever He Tells You

January 29, 2023 • Gregg Parris • 2 Corinthians 9:6–8, Proverbs 30:8–9, 1 Kings 17:6, 1 Kings 19:5–6, John 2:1–11

John 2:1-11 I. Need, Greed or Seed “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches – feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” Proverbs 30:8-9 “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook” I Kings 17:6 ”Then as Elijah lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. And he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God” I Kings 19:5-6,8 II. God Is After Our Hearts God goes through our treasure to get to our hearts. “Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” Acts 2:21 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” 2 Chronicles 16:9 When I touch God, He immediately touches me back. III. Do Whatever He Tells You

A Change of Heart

January 22, 2023 • Gregg Parris • Deuteronomy 15:7–15, Luke 6:30–35

Deuteronomy 15:7-15 There is nothing in Scripture that says we should make personal gain our motive for giving. God doesn’t want us to catch the vision of getting. He wants us to catch the vision of giving. “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” Luke 6: 30-35 I. The Selfish Heart Deuteronomy 15:9 “Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought…” II. The Grieving Heart Deuteronomy 15:10 “You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.” Selfishness can attack us before we give, but grief can attack us after we give. When we get God’s perspective on money – when we understand that God owns it all – it is easy to give it when He asks for it. III. A Generous Heart Deuteronomy 15:14 “You shall supply him liberally (generously) from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord has blessed you with, you shall give to him.” IV. A Grateful Heart Deuteronomy 15:15 “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.” When we’re grateful, we’re generous. Genuine gratitude to God is a rare and powerful thing.

True Riches

January 15, 2023 • Gregg Parris • Matthew 6:19–21, 1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 16:10–13

Luke 16:10-13 I. True Riches Matthew 6:19-21 What are the “true riches” the “treasures in heaven?” It’s people and relationships. When we use money for righteous purposes, we are laying up treasure in heaven. II. Tithing Luke 16:10 The Bible says that we must be faithful with a little before we will be entrusted with much. It’s not how much we have but whose it is. The tithe “belongs” to God. The message is if we will return the tithe, then God will bless or redeem the rest. People say, “The reason I don’t tithe is because I can’t afford it.” You will never be able to afford to tithe until you tithe because tithing is what breaks the curse and opens the windows. III. Mammon This is what the spirit of mammon tries to tell us: You don’t need God. Trust in riches! Mammon promises us those things that only God can give – security, significance, identity, independence, power and freedom. Mammon tells us that it can insulate us from life’s problems and that money is the answer to every situation. I Timothy 6:10- Money is not the answer to life’s problems – God is. IV. Poverty and Pride Mammon has friends. They will keep you from being blessed and fulfilled. They are called poverty and pride. Both poverty and pride have a common root – they get us to focus on “stuff” rather than God. Pride says, “Wealth comes from hard work.” Poverty says, “Wealth comes from the devil.” If you have been blessed by God because you’ve done things His way, stop feeling guilty. Don’t be ashamed of having a heart God can bless!