Are We Preparing to Be Firstfruits?

It is good to be here on this special day. I call it Pentecost weekend because of course we have the Sabbath and then Sunday is Pentecost on the same weekend. It's one day that is one of the three feast seasons, so it is special. It's about two things: God's Holy Spirit and of course being a first fruit.

God created the whole universe in harmony and unity and it was all good. Then He came down and because of Satan He had to re-create the earth. You can look in Genesis 1:2, it says He re-created it. Every time He did something like create the sun or moon or the animals, He said it was good. In fact, even after He created man on earth, He said it was good. Genesis 1:31 "Then God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Then He went into the Sabbath. Then I remember that He goes back and He tells a little bit about how He created Adam. He found Adam by himself and He said that wasn't good, so He created Eve. The point is God created everything good. But you know what happened? Satan came along and influenced mankind and it's been going downhill ever since.

This Day of Firstfruits represents God beginning to put everything back right, to rebuild the earth and people and to make things right so that one day when it's all done, everything will be perfect and right again.

This Day of Firstfruits has two meanings… one is about God's Holy Spirit being given on this day, which makes it possible for us to be a firstfruit. I'm going to talk about firstfruits today because this is the beginning of God's plan to put everything back right, to make everything perfect someday. We have a wonderful opportunity to be part of that.

ARE WE GROWING TOWARD PERFECTION AND MATURITY TO BE A FIRSTFRUIT OF GOD AND CHRIST? The title of this sermon is: ARE WE PREPARING TO BE FIRSTFRUITS? I was thinking are 'you', but it's actually 'we' because we are all in this together.

1 John 4:16-18 (This is an important scripture that kind of hit me hard. God's love is being perfected in us, that's what this is talking about.)"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.' Verse 17 "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." Verse 18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." This has always hit me hard, especially lately when I was going over this sermon, because I thought, 'You know, I do have some fears as a human being and you know what? I need to work on the love of God that comes from God's Holy Spirit. If I'm going to be a firstfruit, I need to incorporate more of that love in my heart and mind for all people… and grow in love and not have fear.' Sometimes I get fearful about speaking, not as much as I used to, but I was an engineer and one reason I wanted to do that was so I wouldn't have to speak publicly… so there goes that. I've always had a fear of speaking; I got F's in my speaking class in college: I got A's on the tests, so I got a C or a D on the course, so I passed it...but that's the only way I passed it. I actually make it worse, because it just makes me nervous… but I pray about it a lot and God's Spirit makes a difference. I need to develop more of that love so I won't fear things, so I won't fear what's coming on, so I won't fear speaking. This scripture is something that has really hit me hard; if you want to learn not to have fear… grow in God's Spirit, his love and his way. I think this is one of those key scriptures in the Bible that you want to keep a hold of. Verse 19 "We love Him because He first loved us." God set the example because He loved us first. Verse 20 "Those who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen." Verse 21 "The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also." I'd also say love your enemy also, that's a toughie. I think that's a toughie for all human beings… some are better at it than others.

1 John 5:1 "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born (this actually means in the process of being born) of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who is begotten of Him." Verse 2 "BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHEN WE LOVE GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." Verse 2 "FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD: THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT BURDENSOME." Verse 4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Verse 5 "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" That word 'believes' leads to obedience. Christ himself said that if you don't obey Me, you're not really accepting Me, you've got to obey Me. It is a wonderful thing that it talks about here that the love of God is keeping God's commandments in the true physical and spiritual sense. That's what Christ taught in the 'Sermon on the Mount'… in the Beatitudes. He said here is how you want to keep the commandments, in your heart and mind… treat people with respect and love.

When God calls us, gives us the gift of repentance, baptism in the Holy Spirit which is required for us to continue to grow and overcome so we can be like Him and Jesus Christ, we then spiritually don't want to sin. These are all gifts. We want to be perfect as human beings, we think our way is the right way, but we're not perfect and need to work toward that. Heb. 12:2-3 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Verse 3 "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." We need to continually grow and overcome and see that we do have that human nature. We do have that sinful nature, but we need to overcome it with God's Spirit and power. We must realize that it is possible and we must do it!

Paul was inspired to talk about God as a Father who chastens and corrects us to become more like Him and Jesus Christ. We need to realize our trials and tests are because God loves us and that He wants us to grow and overcome… just like when we have children and we correct them. Do we correct them for bad or because we want them to be better and be good children? That's what God does for us; we need to realize that. We need to study and fast and pray so we can learn the lessons so we don't have to keep doing it over and over again. We don't want the lessons of Job; we want to work at it so we don't have to go as far as Job did to learn. GOD WILL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU NEED TO LEARN. Job learned, but that's a hard way to learn. It's easier to pray and fast and seek God's will and try to put it your lives than it is to go through hard lessons, hard trials. That doesn't mean we won't go through some anyhow. Sometimes we build faith and build faith in other people by the things we do, it's all interactive.

This scripture is about how God's Holy Spirit is helping us and guiding us. If we want to be a firstfruit, we have to have God's Holy Spirit in us. Romans 7:14 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." Verse 15 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." Paul is talking about fighting human nature. Here is Paul, one of the great apostles who wrote most of the New Testament yet he says he has human nature that he has to fight. Verses 16-20 "If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good." Verse 17 "But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." Verse 18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good, I do not find." Verse 19 "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." Verse 20 "Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." Verse 21 "I find then a law (a rule of nature in my body), that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good." Verse 22 "For I delight in the law according to the inward man." I think we all do this. I think we all love God's law, especially with our spirit and mind like Paul, when we have God's Holy Spirit. It is such a wonderful thing to understand. Verse 23 "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Verse 24 "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Then he gives the answer: Verse 25 "I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." He's saying thanks to God for His Holy Spirit and His calling because that's how I control my body and how I overcome. That's how we need to be as firstfruits. That's what we need to grow and mature with… the Holy Spirit.

God's Holy Spirit in us guiding and helping us, coupled with the graciousness and forgiveness and mercy of God (which we never want to forget because we are never given the penalties for our sins) will bring us through our lives and our war with ourselves and Satan and this world. We will fight against our own human nature until the day we die, and then we'll be resurrected to life as perfect spiritual beings, perfect spiritual sons of God. We won't be human beings anymore, I'm so thankful for that.

I went to a funeral yesterday of a ninety eight year old man. At the last stages he told some of his friends, "You know, everybody wants to live to be a ripe old age, but you need to be careful what you wish for, ninety eight is no fun." I've heard that before… that you get so old it's hard to do anything; it's hard to live. My dad died at ninety. He was quite a guy. He had a lot of operations: hip operation, hernia operation, and prostate operation. He said he'd just as soon die on the operating table if he can't do anything. We're going to get rid of this body and have a perfect spiritual body some day and that's going to be wonderful.

1 John 1:5-10 (This chapter starts out recognizing Christ as the One who was with the Father, as the One who came down to earth as a man and made it possible for us to have fellowship with each other and with God the Father and Jesus Christ himself.) Verse 5 "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." Verse 6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." Verse 7 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." It's important that we have fellowship with one another, and that we walk with one another in peace and harmony and unity and that we care for one another. Verse 8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Verse 9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Verse 10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." We do have the ability in us to sin at any time. I know as I grow over the years (I've been in the church for forty six years) I can overcome more and more and I do more naturally; I do have some character I can see… BUT the day I think I'm righteous myself and I can do it and that I'm really good, I'm going to fail. I'm going to sin, I guarantee. I had a lesson not too long ago and it really woke me up. We always have that nature there and that 'jack-in-the-box' can always pop out at any time. We've just got to keep the lid down. God makes it possible through his Spirit and walking in his ways, for us to grow and overcome and be that firstfruit that God wants us to be… to grow toward that time when we'll be resurrected a perfect spirit being.

It's a wonderful thing to think about what God has in store for us and all of mankind. If you look around this world at all the hate, sadness and crime and violence and see that this world is in a downward trajectory, it is wonderful to look on the other side… we have the Feast of Tabernacles to see what God is going to do for all of mankind, not just for us. It's really wonderful to understand that it's for all of mankind.

Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men," (which is Jesus Christ) Verse 12 "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age," Verse 13 "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ," Verse 14 "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." God through Christ does redeem us, so we can grow and live righteously. That's another thing we must never forget. We always need to be in a repentant attitude; always repent of our shortcomings… even if the shortcoming is something we know to do or shouldn't do. The Bible says that if we know to do something and don't, that is sin. It's not just actively sinning we need to repent of, but not doing the things we know we should be doing.

Even Jesus Christ was made perfect through his sufferings in the flesh and is now able to help us do the same thing. Heb.2:9-10 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." Verse 10 "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Even Christ suffered; He understands. He can go to God now and say, 'God we made man and we know sin is suffering, but I can tell you, God from first hand how powerful it is and how it is. I gave my life for these people; they're trying, so help them.' We have someone who understands and you know what will be greater? If we're a firstfruit in the world tomorrow, we can take it one step farther. We can say we sinned and we understand; we understand how it takes God's Holy Spirit and that we can grow and overcome. God has taken us, the weak to make us like Him.

Heb. 2:14-18 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," Verse 15 "and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." By that power, what Christ has done, has released us, is releasing us, if we accept his sacrifice, from that sin of bondage of breaking God's law. Verse 16 "For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham." (Which is the Church, today.) Verse 17 "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation (atonement) for the sins of the people." He is able to aid those who are tempted, He is able to aid us and take care of us because He has a greater understanding. It's not that we're anything great. God is going to take the weak and He's going to make us strong through His Holy Spirit and His power, by our relationship with Him and our relationships with each other… and believe it or not, our relationship with everybody we come into contact with. We have to deal with people with love and a right attitude and not treat them like James and John wanted to do in the book of Mark when they said, 'Oh, just bring fire down on them.' We can't do that, that can't be our attitude. As firstfruits, we have to learn to say 'no', and be compassionate on them… that doesn't mean we're going to help them sin or condone sin, but we're going to have compassion and the strength to love people and to want to help them if we can. We need to love our enemies and care for them like Christ said, that's the hard part.

1 Cor. 1:25-31 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Verse 26 "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called." Verse 27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;" Verse 28 "and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are," Verse 29 "That no flesh should glory in His presence." God says He doesn't want flesh to glory, so He's going to call us, the weak… who go to college and have a fear of speaking, right? Verse 30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--" Verse 31 "that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."" God is calling the weak… I don't think there are any CEO's here, of General Motors or any other company… if fact, I don't know of any in the Church. God has called people who need Him more than anybody else. I can guarantee you, I've had a lot of hang-ups. I always tell people that the only thing I was ever good at in my life was being an engineer, the rest of it… God has had to work on me to develop everything else. God helps us and wants us to be growing and overcoming; He wants to produce those fruits of the Spirit in us, which there is no law against. There's no law against it because they are all right, it all fits with the law of God in the full spiritual sense. That's what God wants of us.

2 Tim. 4:5-8 "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, (He's talking about Timothy, but you can take evangelist out and say 'member of God's Church' or whatever you are.) fulfill your ministry." Fulfill what you're doing, your growing and overcoming… your being a light and example, not that you're saying anything, you don't have to. Verse 6 "For I am being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand." Verse 7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Verse 8 "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to those who have loved His appearing." That's what we're aiming for as a firstfruit, to be like Jesus Christ… but we have to live it now. We have to use the tools and the things God gives us: the information from going to services, from studying the literature, etc. Talking about the literature, it is going out to the world. Part of being a firstfruit is that we get to give to the work. The "Beyond Today" television program goes to 60% of the world now. Do you realize that? Sixty percent of the world gets "Beyond Today", it even goes into Arab countries, to Islamic people. We're getting the gospel out. If you add the Internet, it's going to even more people than the sixty percent. I remember being in Egypt… one of the few things I could get out there in the middle of the desert was the Internet. The Internet goes all over the world, so we are getting the gospel out. We are a little people; we're not very strong. It is God doing the work; we just need to be a part of it. We pray for it, we give what little we can and God will multiply it. Just care about it and be excited about it and be zealous for it.

We often go to this scripture about watching and preparing, but it's more than just that. Luke 21:34-36 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighted down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly." Verse 35 "For it will come as a snare on all who dwell on the face of the whole earth." Verse 36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." He says to take heed, notice… don't let yourselves be weighed down with the cares of this world. Don't let these extra curricular activities, things we like to do and want to do weigh us down. Every time Christ is talking, He talks about praying; here He says to watch and pray. Prayer is such a big part of our lives… in fact it's one of the main parts of our lives. He talks about keeping doing the right things, taking heed that your heart is in the right mind frame; having God's Holy Spirit is what He is talking about here. Seek to be like God. Paul said he had fought the good fight and he was ready. He understood what it was to be ready.

Right before this scripture the Sadducees had given a story about a woman who had a husband and he died and she kept marrying the next brother and she kept marrying the brothers until she had married all seven brothers and they all died. They asked Christ whom she would be married to when they were resurrected. Jesus is answering them here: Luke 20:34-38 "Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage." Verse 35 "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;" Verse 36 "nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection." Verse 37 "But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'" Verse 38 "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."" We are to be firstfruits to the living Jesus Christ; we're looking forward to that time when God will resurrect us to a perfect state as spirit beings, as firstfruits in God's Kingdom. We'll have holy righteous character that does not and cannot sin and will be perfect in all we do and say. Are we preparing and getting ready for that now?

Matthew 5 tells about the mindset of God that we need to have in us, this is part of the Beatitudes. The first thing Christ talked about when He started His ministry is how we should treat one another. He said don't just not kill someone; don't hate them either. Matt. 5:43-48 "You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" Verse 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," Verse 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Verse 46 "For is you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" Verse 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" Verse 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." What He is talking about is seeking God's Spirit and power, seeking to be like Him. I've said it before, it's probably one of the hardest things I've had to overcome, and I've not totally overcome it yet, is to love your enemy, to love someone who's trying to do something against you, trying to hurt you. It's tough; our old human nature just fights it. I've grown a lot in that area and I need to grow some more. That's the ultimate… when you can say, 'No, don't bring fire down on these people.' Christ said have love for them, have compassion for them. That doesn't mean you get in their way; you've got to use wisdom… but you still can love them and pray for them. The power of prayer is tremendous.

Heb. 13:20-22 "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant," Verse 21 "make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well- pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Verse 22 "And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words." We need to be exhorted by these words today; the people who speak get more exhortation than you do. We study it and look at it and say 'wow' 'what powerful words, what inspiring words'. We get to study and then we get to give it back to you and then we get to sit down there and listen to other people give powerful words. We gave these two split sermons in Oklahoma City last weekend. We didn't plan what each other was going to give, so here it is: he gives the sermon on the Holy Spirit and I give it on the Firstfruits, which is exactly what Pentecost is about. It's amazing the inspiration we get to see once in a while, it's really encouraging. We need to take these exhortations and we need to live by them.

It's amazing when you start looking for scriptures, you read a lot of them and they're inspiring. I can go to a scripture I've looked at a hundred times before and yet I can find something new in it. It's amazing the depth of what God has in His scriptures and how you can grow and get to learn more every time you look at them. Phil. 3:7-16 "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." He's talking about physical things. I used to like sports a lot and I still do, but Christ and God are first. I like my job and I like my family, but I have to work in balance and not work all the time and take time for my family and you always have to take time for God. That's what he is talking about here, taking time for God, in a balanced way take time for your work and family, and if you have time left over… you can do a few other things. It's good to have exercise. It is good to have recreation, but it can't be your primary focus. Verse 8 "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" Verse 9 "and be found in Him not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;" Verse 10 "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," Verse 11 "If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Verse 12 "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." Verse 13 "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead," Verse 14 "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Verse 15 "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you." He is saying to become mature Christians… grow. Learn to get off the milk to go to the meat… he says that in other places in the Bible… to grow to become a mature Christian. Grow to where it's easy to be a Christian… to where you want to go to services, to where you want to pray, where you want to study, and you want to build up the Holy Spirit and you want to be a child of God; you want to be a firstfruit; you want to help other people. How you do it is through God's Spirit in you and doing these things. Phil. 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," Verse 21 "who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." We definitely need Christ's help to do that; we're not going to do it on our own. If we think we are, we're going to fail.

Christ is working with us and in us to mature us as a child of God, ever learning, ever growing toward the mark of being a perfect Son of God in the resurrection into the kingdom of God, to live forever in the God family. That's what we're doing here. There can be no greater thing! Everything I ever dreamed about as a child or utopia, everything I wanted to do… God is giving to us. We just need to seek it, we need to want it; we need to desire it; we need to work toward it. We need to be thankful for it; thankful for the calling; thankful for God's Spirit.

There are so many encouraging scriptures in the Bible; that's one reason God wants you to read the Bible daily… it is so encouraging. If you ever get discouraged, read Psalms. I was thinking about that lady that he said lost everything, but in the Spirit she was thankful, she had God, she had God's Spirit. That's what Paul said… if I lose everything, but if I gain God and His Spirit, that's what counts. It's a wonderful thing to know that and to have that peace and comfort… that's where your peace comes from.

Eph. 4:11-13 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers," What for? Not for structure, to serve. Verse 12 "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," Verse 13 "till we all come to the unity of the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;" We're supposed to seek to be like Christ, that's what these offices are for… they're serving offices, not to lord it over people. Like he said earlier, when you have the Holy Spirit, it's a giving serving office, helping others. That's what we need to be doing… that needs to be our attitude. Christ set that ultimate example and gave Himself for that. You must seek the fullness of Christ, to be like Him, like His example as He represented God the Father in every way. He served mankind, even giving His life for us.

James 1:2-5 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." Verse 3 "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Verse 4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." He's saying here to count it joy; well we don't always count it joy when we're in trials. Mostly we count it joy when the trials are over, to be honest that's our human nature. You have to have the attitude to realize that God is giving these trials or allowing them for us to grow and overcome, to be more like Him, to have more of his Spirit and to seek his ways. It's funny, in our human nature when everything is rocking along smoothly, we may not pray as earnestly or as hard, but, you know, we need to. When things are going along good, that's when we really need to get our knees on the floor and pray hard and ask God to help us understand how to grow and where to grow, and ask if we're missing something. We need to do it all the time, but if we're not… God will allow us to have a little trial that will get us to our knees, because we need deliverance from the trial. We will learn to trust God and build patience. Trials test us to develop us and to mature us. We must develop the patience to fulfill the purpose of God in our lives and to mature as a true child of God; seeking God's wisdom in a way to be a firstfruit, to grow and overcome as a firstfruit. God wants us there more than we do. Ten times, a hundred times more… God wants us to be a firstfruit more than we do. NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE DESIRE IT, GOD REALLY DESIRES US TO BE A PART OF HIS FAMILY, that's why you can trust Him… because He wants us to be there.

1 Cor. 2:4-16 "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," Paul is saying it wasn't because he was a good speaker. Actually Paul is a little hard to understand sometimes; he's saying here it's a demonstration of the Spirit and power of God. He says he speaks from God's Spirit and power. We all do; I wouldn't know a thing if God hadn't called me and taught me through the Church, through the literature… I wouldn't know a thing about God's way. I might accidentally do a little here and there, but I wouldn't know. God gives it to us through His Spirit and power and His Church. Verse 5" that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." Verse 6 "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, (he's talking about a mature Christian) "yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing." Verse 7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory." In other words, God has told us the mystery that people don't understand. People don't understand what the Holy Days are and what they mean, what God's plan is. I was at a funeral a few weeks ago and a guy read about First Corinthians 15 and then said, "When Christ comes back the dead will be raised right before we're raised (I'm paraphrasing)" They think that's now; it's not. God gives us that understanding and that Spirit and that wisdom… the mysteries of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, the Feast Days; that God is not a trinity, all these things that we understand that the world really doesn't… God gives that to us. Verse 8 "which none of the rulers of this age knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Verse 9 "But as it is written:

'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"

Verse 10 "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." Verse 11 "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." Verse 12 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." Verse 13 "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." God says to compare the spiritual, live the spiritual, understand what this spiritual is, and grow in the spiritual ways. That's what counts. Verse 14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Verse 15 "But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one." Verse 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." We're supposed to judge things, we're supposed to judge right and wrong and know what's right and wrong. That judging means that when we know something is wrong, we don't do it. We're supposed to judge. We're not supposed to judge other people's hearts, minds and motives but if we know they're doing something wrong, we shouldn't do it. That's when you care and pray for them that they'll quit doing what's wrong. There's a time when everybody will be called. The mature are spiritual and have learned from God and are continually learning and ever growing… that's what the firstfruits are about. We need to grow toward that time when God can resurrect us to a perfect being.

In conclusion let's go to 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 "We are bound (it's our duty) to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other." Verse 4 "so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure," It does seem like there's a lot to pray about these days, there are a lot of tribulations. I'm glad to see Mrs. Barron back, they're doing well… we prayed for you. You know, we do pray for one another and we see miracles every day… people who are healed or strengthened in different ways or get jobs. We had a lady the other day, who is fairly new… She came and needed a job. She went in with her little boy and walked in at 'Whirlpool' and they wouldn't let her go… they gave her the job. There were thousands applying for the jobs and they gave her the job, she just walked in and they gave her the job… a miracle. We see them every day. Understanding God's way is a miracle of course. I like what it says here, 'we ourselves boast of you', he's talking about you among the churches of God… for 'your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure'… through God's Spirit and power, if we're going to be a firstfruit. But you have to look at it that there's another way to think of it… I look and think 'what if I was one who didn't understand God's truth’; I might do some of the same things or even worse. But, I know God's way and I know He cares and I know I have His Spirit and I know I need it. We have that assurance. Verse 5 "which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer," We're suffering now so we can make it to the Kingdom of God, we're suffering so we can put away our human nature, so we can learn and build character… that's why we're suffering. Our human nature is suffering, but our spirit is growing. Verse 6 "since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you," Verse 7 "and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels," Verse 8 "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Verse 9 "These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power," Verse 10 "when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." Verse 11 "Therefore we also pray always for you that God would count you worthy of this calling," (words about prayer… again. Christ said when He threw the moneychangers out that 'this is a house of prayer'. Prayer is such a huge part of our lives.) “…and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power," It's His good pleasure to give us the Kingdom… again, God wants it more than we do. He wants to give it to us. Verse 12 "that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

God's love should be growing in us and bountiful; caring for others; seeking God and His development in us, made possible by the undeserved grace of God through Jesus Christ's sacrifice and the Holy Spirit in us. Are we getting ready to be a firstfruit in God's Kingdom? I hope the answer is 'yes'.