This week we will conclude our series on "stewardship" with our First Fruits Sunday. We have talked the last 4 weeks about how to give God our best through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. Now this week, we get the opportunity to give back to God. Not to give God leftovers or seconds but a chance to give God our "first fruits". Where does this first fruits concept fit in? First fruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on Nissan 16, which was the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. First fruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision. (Leviticus 23:9-10) The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. God demands our first fruit because he is the one that has given us everything. We are really just giving back to him what he has given to us.
Consider the following people and events where we give them our first fruits. During Christmas we give the best to our Children. I once heard John Croyle tell a group of people about how a man called him and asked if he would like a bunch of second hand bikes that he had fixed up for Christmas for the children at Big Oak ranch. John said thanks for the offer but for Christmas, he wanted to give the kids the best. He then asked the guy if he would give a used to gift to one of his children. For Christmas we do not give second hand gifts, we give children our best. We will actually do without so that our children can have the best. When we attend a wedding we go look at a registry and then feel great about giving someone the piece of china or crystal that they have ask for and consider the best. When we throw dinner parties we serve the best food and we serve it on the china that we received for Christmas. So why do we not considering give God our first fruits. This week you will have the opportunity to give God our first fruits. I hope that you will be with us as we lay our baskets at the altar.