Giving God Your Best
Giving God Your Best
Hebrews 11:4
January 24th, 2020
Intro: A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. So, she gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. She told her daughter, “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself.” When the service was over and they were in their car going home, the mother asked her daughter which amount she gave. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the pastor said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did” (Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993, p. 23.).
Now, this morning we are going to look at verse four of Hebrews 11. We are at the part in the chapter where we are going to look at the Old Testament people as examples of faith and how and why God chose to put them in this chapter of faith….. And the first person up is Able. Adam and Eves boy………… Look with me at……….……….
(PP)Hebrews 11:4: “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed His approval of Abel’s gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.”
This is one of the things I want you to notice as we go through this series on faith,…. is that true faith in God always expresses itself in action…….
(PP) James 2:14-17 says: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,……. is (WHAT) dead.”… Ephesians 2:10 says…………
And no one wants to have DEAD FATIH do we!………..
So, as we have learned in the past 2 weeks is that faith…… is a deep conviction or certainty about realities that we cannot see……….. And then true biblical faith is always based on the word of God.
Hebrews 11:4 talks about the kinds of faith that is shown in action…
Objective: Today we are going to see what it means to put faith into action. And we will do this by answering some important questions.
Transition: First……
I- Why was Abel’s sacrifice better than Cain’s?
What was it about Abel’s offering that demonstrated faith that was lacking in Cain’s offering?
Genesis 4:1-5 tells us about these two offerings. It says,…………………
“Now Adam’s wife Eve, became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked unhappy.”
Cain was a farmer, so he brought produce from the soil. Abel was a shepherd, so brought animals from his flock. Now was it that God wanted a blood sacrifice that made Abel’s sacrifice better? I don’t think so… It dosen’t say anything about blood sacrifice..
Or,…………… maybe it was a difference in the attitude of the givers?
You see our attitude is certainly important when giving to God. Just like the little girl with the dollar and the quarter……………………… God doesn’t want us to give to Him reluctantly or resentfully, but joyfully, but He also want us to have a right attitude.
Application: So, Genesis 4 is speaking about a difference in attitude?.................
The Bible doesn’t say that Cain had a bad attitude when he brought the offering…… But it is clear that Cain’s attitude appeared when God looks with favor on Abel offering and rejects Cain’s offering. It is only then we are told that Cain became angry even to the point of killing his brother……….
Transition: So, the next question we need to ask is:
(PP)II-Was Abel’s offered to God acceptable because it was the first portion?..........
We read in Genesis 4:4, “Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.”…………
Verse 3 tells us what Cain brought to the Lord: “Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil.”
So, I believe that is the answer to our first question……… Abel gave God the first portion whereas Cain did not. And this lead to God accepting Ables and rejecting Cain’s. Able had the right attitude because he gave God his best….
Transition: So, this leads us to the next question……
III- So for us, what does it mean to give God the first portion?
Throughout the Old Testament God commanded His people to present the firstborn of all their flocks and herds and the first fruits of their soil as an offering to Him.
For example, in Deuteronomy 12:6 is says: (PP)“Bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.”
Then in Deuteronomy 18:4 it says: (PP) “You are to give … the first fruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep.”
So, this is a clear biblical principle……. The first portion belongs to God…….
Presenting the first portion was a way of acknowledging God’s ownership of all that we have…..
So, what does it mean to give God the first portion? First of all,…. it means giving God your first and your best,…… not the leftovers…
We read in Exodus 23:19: (PP) “Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.”
Now Bringing your best, reflects what you think of God…. And as followers of God, we should believe that God deserves our very best…. “Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.”
Now if we had a herd of beef, we would bring to God as a sacrifice our fat portions, and they would be equivalent of bringing a prime rib, Tenderloin, New York Steak. All the good cuts……
Giving God the first portion means, giving God your first and your best not your leftovers…… So, since most of us are not cattle ranchers, then for us it means giving God the first 10th of our income……
You can read in 2 Chronicles 31:5-10, about how and when the Israelites gave of their first fruits. They brought a tenth of everything, and there was so much left over that they piled the surplus in heaps……..
Folks, this is a principle of giving. When God’s people give as God directs, there will always be plenty of money for you,… It is a promise and biblical principle from God….But it is done in FAITH.
The Bible says that the first portion begins with the tithe.
You see folks, the tithe is just the beginning of your giving……. It’s where you start……The first tenth already belongs to God…. It is your first and your best…..
But as you grow in Christ and in this whole area of giving, you will want to bring God an offering above and beyond the tithe. It is like our mission offering. This is above a Tithe. This is a free will offering because you care about missions…….. Or fi we are raising money say for people to go on a mission trip, that is above a Tithe.
When you do this you are beginning to understand Jesus’ teaching that, “It’s better to store up your treasure in heaven rather than on earth”…
That is why we speak of tithes and offerings. The principle of tithing was given by God in the Old Testament….. and it was never removed in the New Testament…
That is what we believe here at Desert Edge… We believe that God is worthy of our best…….And we believe that as followers of Christ we shouldn’t give God the scraps or our leftovers……..but our best… None of us like scraps do we?...........
Transition: So, then the next question is….
IV- How does giving God the first portion demonstrate our faith?
First of all, giving to God is a reflection of my worship of God….. Well it is how I can honor God for all the good I have in my life…….
Proverbs 3:9-10 says: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine……” Malachi 3:10 says……..
Even Jesus identified money as the major competitor to God in our lives. Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). He said this because of our fallen nature. If God is not first in our lives, then the love of money will always win out.
Jesus said that how you give to God reveals your heart….. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, that is where your heart is also.”
So, we must ask ourselves, where is my heart today?....
Application: You see brothers and sisters, how and what you give to God says a lot about faith and our trust in God…… It doesn’t take any faith to give God the leftovers….. 1 or 2 dollars……. But God asks you to give Him your first and your best…… And that takes faith……………
Remember, faith is being certain of the things we cannot see and responding to what God’s word commands…….
So, when it comes to giving to God our first portion, you are actually doing three things which involve trusting God’s Word concerning things you do not see………
1-First you recognize God as the source of all your blessings…….
James 1:17 says: “Every good and perfect gift come from above.” This means we are recognizing God as the source of all your blessings…….. The Bible says that all that you have,… and all that you are…. comes from God…….. But,………. Do…… We….. believe this?….
When you give God the first portion you recognize that God is the source of your blessings.
2-And secondly, when you give God the first portion, you acknowledge God as the owner of all that you have.
God says in Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
So the truth is….God owns it all. The Lord gives, and the Lord can and will take it away….. And sometimes He does this to show us how He wants us to give……. (Expenses that come up)
3-And then, thirdly, when you give God the first portion, you show that you trust God’s promise to provide for all your needs.
Philippians 4:19 says: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Giving God the first portion takes faith, because remember, at the time you give God the first portion, you don’t always have the second portion yet…….. The second portion is unseen.
For example: When the Israelites gave God the firstborn lambs from their flocks or the first portion from their crops, they had no guarantee that there would be any more lambs or crops. The mother lamb could die, or the remaining crops could be destroyed.
But they gave the first portion in faith, trusting God who promised to provide for all their needs.
Application: So, how does giving God the first portion demonstrate your faith?
Well, you recognize God as the source of all your blessings, and you acknowledge God as the owner of all that you have. And you trust God’s promise to provide for all your needs.
Folks it is your faith that pleases God, not the offering itself. It is not just what you give to God, but your heart must be right also.
Abel was commended as a righteous man, not for his offering, but for his faith which produced the offering……
“By faith Able was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.”
But we must sever think that giving to God is a way to earn God’s favor. You cannot buy your way into heaven. God looks to your faith, not the offering itself. (Word of Faith false teaching)
Just like Able, when you give faithfully to God, your giving continues to speak and have influence for years and years to come and indeed into eternity……… EXAMLES……
Application: So how do you practice giving God the first portion today?
1-First, God deserves the first and best part of everything, not just your money. You should give God the first and best part of your life every day.
2-Second, budget your life around your giving, not your giving around your life… Make giving to God first in your budget….. And once you have determined what God would have you to give, that becomes a non-negotiable. Your giving comes before you pay your bills, or saving, or you play. Make everything else in your budget fit around it.
So how do you know how much to give? Pray about it.
Just as 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
3-And then, thirdly, set aside God’s portion first before you spend anything else. That way you make sure that the first portion goes to God…….
Conclusion: Now folks this message might seem like this has been a message about giving….. But it is really a message about God’s sovereignty and the Lordship of Jesus Christ…. And it is a message about faith….. Abel shows us that giving God your best, and your best is part of living by faith……
God gave His first and His best for us. “John 3:16 says”
Now God asks you to give your first and best to Him.
Hebrews 11:4 says: “By faith Abel offered up a better sacrifice than Cain did.”
So, the last question for us is this: (PP)V-Will you commit to giving to God your first and your best as a member of God divine church?..............
