1. Possession of the land is needed.

Romans 10:9 “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

2. Give of your first fruits.

“1. To acknowledge God as the giver of all those good things. 2. To deny ourselves. What is first ripe we are most fond of; those that are nice and curious expect to be served with each fruit at its first coming in.3. To give to God the first and best we have, as those that believe him to be the first and best of beings.” (Commentaries on Deuteronomy, Henry, cxlix)

Leviticus 27:30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s it is holy to the Lord.”

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full (all-KJV; whole-NIV, NAS) tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Nehemiah 10:35 “We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord.”

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.”

3. The priest should distribute the gifts.

1. Levite 2. Sojourner 3. Fatherless 4. Widow

4. Joyful worship should happen.

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship.”

5. Keep the commands of the Lord.

TREASURED

2 Corinthians 8:3 “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify and beyond their means, of their own accord."

“It is the will of God, that we should be cheerful not only in our attendance upon his holy ordinances, but in our enjoyment of the gifts of his providence.” (Deuteronomy, Wesley, 102)

Conclusion

To Thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise (W. Chatterton Dix 1864)
1. To thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise in hymns of adoration, to thee bring sacrifice of praise with shouts of exultation: bright robes of gold the fields adorn, the hills with joy are ringing, the valleys stand so thick with corn that even they are singing.
2. And now, on this our festal day, thy bounteous hand confessing, upon thine altar, Lord, we lay the first-fruits of thy blessing: by thee the hungry soul is fed with gifts of grace supernal; thou who dost give us earthly bread, give us the bread eternal.
3. We bear the burden of the day, and often toil seems dreary;
but labour ends with sunset ray, and rest comes for the weary:
may we, the angel-reaping o'er, stand at the last accepted, Christ's golden sheaves for evermore to garners bright elected.
4. O blessèd is that land of God, where saints abide for ever; where golden fields spread far and broad, where flows the crystal river:
the strains of all its holy throng with ours today are blending;
thrice blessèd is that harvest-song which never hath an ending.

Sermon Discussion Questions

1. Tell of a time that you went to an orchard or harvested a crop. What do you remember about that time?

2. Because God has possession of our world and possession of our lives, tell how His role in your life impacts how you respond.

3. Describe your understanding of First Fruits. Was it hard for you to give of your first fruits? Is it difficult now?

4. If you are giving of your first fruits, how would you encourage someone who hasn't been giving?

5. The gifts were to be distributed to the Levites, sojourners, fatherless, and widows. How can we do this in our church?

6. How can we be joyful in our worship and giving?

7. Verse 18 says you are God's "treasured possession." How do these words encourage you?