Put God First: The Miracle of Firstfruits

Introduction

Brendan White tells a short story at the airport: a man buys a coffee and a bag of mini donuts, sits next to a stranger reading the newspaper, and watches the stranger help himself from the bag without hesitation. He fumes inside. Then, as he gets up to leave, he discovers that his own bag of donuts, still unopened, was sitting right next to his carry-on. The whole time, he had been eating the other person's donuts. The pastor draws a simple image from this: very often, what we call "mine" actually comes from the hand of God. This pastoral message invites you to look differently at your resources and to put God in first place, with the promise that he acts through what you give him.

Message Outline

1. God cares about every area of your life, including your finances

• Salvation is not a purely spiritual matter: in the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus declares "Today salvation has come to this house" (Luke 19). The whole house, the whole person, his relationships and possessions are touched.
• God cares about your spirit, your soul, your body, and he also wants to work in the area of finances, a place that sometimes brings stress, sometimes conflict, but which can become a place of blessing.
• In the feeding of the five thousand, a child places his five loaves and two fish in Jesus' hands (Luke 9:12-17). When we place what we have in God's hands, it activates his power to feed far more than we could on our own.
• In Luke 5, Simon had worked all night and caught nothing. It was by obeying Jesus' word that he cast his nets and saw an abundant catch. Putting God first changes our situations.

2. The principle of firstfruits, tithes, and offerings

• From the very beginning, God looks at what is given first. Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil, Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, and the LORD looked with favor on Abel's offering (Genesis 4:3-5). The first battle of human nature is precisely not putting God first.
• Brendan illustrates this with a beautiful shirt he brings on stage, held by Jeremie beside him: nobody puts a beautiful shirt on last. The principle is to put God at the very top, not last or in third place.
• "If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy" (Romans 11:16). What is consecrated to God first sanctifies the rest. This is accompanied by the command in Exodus 23:19: bring the very first of your produce to the house of the LORD.
• The tithe is ten percent, not seven or eight. Leviticus 27:30 says it clearly: "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." This is not religious legalism; it is recognizing that God is the source.
• Jesus himself validates this principle when he addresses the Pharisees: "You give a tenth of your spices (mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law), justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23).

3. The promise, the power, and the blessing attached to giving

• Malachi 3:10 is a direct invitation: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse... 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 there will not be room enough to store it." God wants to open the windows of heaven over what you entrust to him.
• In Genesis 22, Abraham brings his son Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience, and God provides a lamb. This is where the name Jehovah Jireh is born, "The LORD will provide." When you honor God first, he provides at the right time and in the right way.
• Malachi continues by promising protection over what remains: "I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe" (Malachi 3:11). God does not only bless what you give him; he also protects what he leaves in your hands.
• The result, according to Malachi 3:12, is that "all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land." What God activates in your finances overflows to others and becomes a testimony.

4. Managing well what God entrusts to you: the wisdom of the steward

• Honoring God through the tithe does not exempt you from managing the remaining ninety percent well. Brendan invites you to ask God for wisdom, as James 1:5 encourages: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault."
• Solomon, at the beginning of his reign, asked God for wisdom rather than wealth (1 Kings 3). This is a prayer our generation desperately needs in order to manage what has been entrusted to us.
• Jesus teaches the principle of faithfulness: "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" (Luke 16:10). Your faithfulness today with the little opens the door for God to entrust you with more.
• "No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13). It is not about hating money; it is about choosing who is your master. Love God, and let your resources serve his purposes.

Key Takeaways

• God cares about every area of your life, including your finances: it is a place where he wants to bless you, not just a source of stress.
• Firstfruits is not just about giving something: it is about giving first, before everything else, to tell God he is your source.
• The tithe represents ten percent, not an approximate figure: it is a biblical principle established long before the law and confirmed by Jesus himself.
• To the one who honors God with firstfruits, the promise of Malachi 3 is clear: God opens the floodgates of heaven and protects the rest.
• Being faithful with little, asking for wisdom, not serving two masters: generosity goes hand in hand with good stewardship.

Personal Application

1. When you look at your current resources, where do you concretely place God: first, second, last? What does that reveal about your trust in him?
2. From your next paycheck, what would your "firstfruit" be, not what is left at the end of the month, but what you give to God first?
3. Is there an area where you tell yourself "I can't afford to give" when you might actually be eating, like in the donut story, what God has already placed in your hand?
4. How faithful are you today with the little God has entrusted to you, your budget, your time, an object, a responsibility? Take a moment to ask for wisdom.
5. Who is truly your master this week: God or money? What specific choice would allow you to align your life with that answer?

Verses Cited

• Luke 19:1-10 · Zacchaeus: salvation comes to this house
• Luke 9:12-17 · The feeding of the five thousand
• Luke 5:1-11 · The miraculous catch: "at your word, I will let down the nets"
• Genesis 4:3-7 · The offerings of Cain and Abel
• Romans 11:16 · If the firstfruits are holy, the whole batch is holy
• Exodus 23:19 · Bring the first of your produce to the house of the LORD
• Leviticus 27:30 · Every tithe belongs to the LORD
• Malachi 3:10-12 · Bring the whole tithe, and I will open the floodgates of heaven
• Matthew 23:23 · Jesus on the tithe: without neglecting justice and mercy
• Genesis 22 · Abraham and Isaac: Jehovah Jireh, the LORD will provide
• James 1:5 · If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God
• Luke 16:10-13 · Faithful with little, faithful with much; you cannot serve God and money

Frequently Asked Questions

What are "firstfruits" in practical terms today?

In the Bible, firstfruits are the first portion of the harvest, set apart for God before the rest is consumed or sold. Today, this means that what you give to God is not what remains at the end of the month, but what you set aside first, at the top of your budget. This act is not a religious tax: it is a practical confession that says, "Lord, you are the source; I trust you with the rest." It is a principle established as early as Genesis 4 with Cain and Abel, confirmed by the law, and validated by Jesus himself in Matthew 23:23.

Is the tithe really ten percent?

Yes, literally. The word "tithe" means "tenth," and Brendan White makes it clear with a very simple illustration: God does not say seven or eight, but ten percent. Leviticus 27:30 states it without ambiguity: "A tithe of everything from the land belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." The tithe is not what "pays" for your standing before God, everything has already been paid for by Jesus. It is a principle of heart alignment, a concrete way of recognizing that what you have comes from him.

What should I do if I feel unable to tithe right now?

The message is not meant to put you under pressure; it is meant to set you free. Brendan first invites you to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and to become faithful with the little you have (Luke 16:10). If you are in a tight spot, start with an honest first step of faith before God, and let him work. The promise of Malachi 3:10 is not that you will become rich, but that God will open the floodgates of heaven over your life and protect what remains. It is a journey of faith, not a religious contract.