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First
January 23, 2016

First Treasure

by Dennis Rouse
Matthew 6:25-33 NKJ“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eator what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Isnot life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at thebirds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
Sermon Notes

Matthew 6:25-33 NKJ
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is
not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the
birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than
they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So
why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God
so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJ
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:24 NKJ
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Exodus 13:1-2 NKJ
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the
firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel,
both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
Exodus 13:11-14 NKJ
“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the
Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you,
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.
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.’”
Principles of First Treasure:

  1. First treasure belongs to God.
    Leviticus 27:26 NKJ
    “‘But the firstborn of the animals, which should be the Lord’s firstborn,
    no man shall dedicate; whether it is an ox or sheep, it is the Lord’s.’”
    Leviticus 27:30 NKJ
    “’And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the
    fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.’”
    You can’t give something that you don’t own.
  2. First treasure is our statement of faith in God.
    Genesis 14:18-20 NKJ
    Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was
    the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed
    be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and
    blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into
    your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
    Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJ
    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.
    Malachi 3:8-12 NKJ
    “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. Bring
    all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,
    and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for
    you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that
    there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the
    devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your
    ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says
    the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be
    a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.
  3. First treasure belongs in God’s house.
    Exodus 23:19 NKJ
    “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of
    the Lord your God…”
    Malachi 3:10 NKJ
    “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My
    house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not
    open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such
    blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
  4. First means first!
    Genesis 4:3-5 NKJ
    And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an
    offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the
    firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and
    his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain
    was very angry, and his countenance fell.
    Exodus 13:11-14 NKJ
    “And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the
    Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you,
    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.
    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.’”
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