God Is Working With Firstfruits

Well, thank you very much for that. Very appropriate for the season we are in, and certainly ties in with the sermonette we heard about the power of God. So, very well done.

I know everyone appreciates it.

In 1959, Norm and I were freshmen at Ambassador College. Seems like yesterday.

But we were privileged to know some of the older members of the Church.

I would call these foundational members.

We had one lady who was a hostess in charge of Mayfair, the women's students' residence.

Very little got by Annie Mann. She was in charge and responsible.

And she was a fixture around Ambassador College for many, many years.

When Ambassador first started, there was a man who sold his home, gave all of his money, everything he had, to the work and came out to see if there was anything he could do. His name was William Homburger. And he was a custodian at Ambassador College, and we were there. And you would see him going around changing light bulbs or fixing things.

And he just dedicated himself. He had given everything he had and gave his life to serving the students and the Church.

Two of the early members in Pasadena were Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Eckert. Now, Mrs. Eckert played the piano for years at services, and you would always see her up there.

They never did seem to age. They always seemed to be the same age when I came and I left and you come back ten years later. They were always there. Mr. Eckert would come by when students were sick. He would rub and massage their feet for them. And he was a really a tremendous individual. Harold Jackson came from San Diego to Pasadena looking for Herbert Armstrong at that time, seeking him and wanting to find out more about the truth. Norman Bill's dad was listening to the World Tomorrow broadcast back in 1938 and 1939 with his dad. And they were living in the Memphis area, and when the Memphis church was raised up, he helped to build the church and to establish it in that area. Now, they all had one thing in common. They were firstfruits.

A firstfruit is one which God can use to build. One that can perform a foundation. One who is there that helps to be the bulwark on which everything else is built. If you'll notice in 1 Corinthians 16 15, we have an example of what I'm referring to, 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 15, where Paul said, I urge you, brethren, you know the household is Stephanus, that it is the firstfruits of Acacia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints. So they were the firstfruits of that area, someone that God could use to begin to build a work in that area of the world. And actually, if you were to look back here on the Chattanooga congregation, many of you probably were some of the earlier members that God used, and that you have gone through the heat of the day, so to speak, that decades have come and gone, and you're still here, and you've remained faithful. In the book of Romans, we have the same thing mentioned, chapter 16 and verse 5 of the book of Romans. Romans 16, 5, Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Greet, my beloved, Apionetus, who is the firstfruits of Acacia, or Achaia.

Actually, it means Asia to Christ. Apparently, one of the first converted in that area.

Brevin, you and I are firstfruits, and God is going to build His kingdom and His family on us, or around us. We have a special calling. Our calling is something that is indeed special.

We are going to be given a great responsibility, a tremendous opportunity, and we are being called to do something that is tremendous.

Let's go back to the book of Exodus 23 to get a little background to start with.

We covered a little of this last week in Exodus chapter 23, beginning in verse 14. You will find that there were two basic harvest seasons in Palestine.

Let's review this again. Exodus 23, 14. Three times you shall keep a feast to me in the year.

You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread. You shall not eat unleavened bread, seven days, as I commanded you. At the time appointed, the month abiv, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty. And the feast of harvests, the first fruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field, and the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labor from the field. Three times in a year, it says.

So, brethren, the spring harvest was a small harvest.

The spring harvest pictures all of those who are called prior to the millennium, although those converted during this present age. Actually, when you consider it, it is a longer period of time than the millennium. Millennium, the white throne judgment, will be a thousand years and a hundred years, if we understand how long the white throne judgment will be.

But this is a six thousand year period. Yet, during that six thousand years that God has been working with man, God has not been trying to convert the whole world. God is called one here, one there, a family over there. And so you'll find that we are the first fruits.

The first harvest, the spring harvest, began during the days of Unleavened Bread and ran until Pentecost, a period of fifty days. As we know, Pentecost pictured the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the New Testament Church. The funny thing is, you and I are part of that harvest. We are the first fruits. We're part of that first fruits. We also work in the harvest.

So not only are we a part of the harvest, we work in the harvest. We're trying to bring others into that harvest. And those who partake in the first resurrection are referred to as the first fruits.

In Leviticus 23, you might remember that on this particular day, Leviticus 23, beginning in verse 16, that there were two wave loaves offered. Verse 16 says, Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. Now that's a completely different subject, but that's something at some point we need to go into, the new grain offering. You shall bring from your dwelling two wave loaves of two tenths of an ephra, and they shall be a fine flower, and they shall be baked with leaven. They are first fruits to the Lord. So these two loaves were offered up on Pentecost as a wave offering. They took them and they waved them before God. Now one pictured the Old Testament church. In Jeremiah 2, verses 2 and 3, we find that anciently Israel was called God's son. We're talking about the congregation of Israel. But in Jeremiah 2, verse 2, God says, Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, beloved your betrothal, when you went after me in the wilderness in a land not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first fruits of his increase. Israel was the first nation that God chose to use. Now God had called individuals prior to this, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had worked with Joseph. He had called Noah and different ones. But now God chose a nation, 12 tribes, and they are referred to here as the first fruits of his increase. They were supposed to set the example before all other nations, and as a result be a magnet to draw all nations to God into his way. Guess what? They didn't do that. They failed to do that. Now in the New Testament church, we find in James 1 and verse 18 that we also, the Israel of God today is also referred to as first fruits. James 1 and verse 18 says, Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So, brethren, we are first fruits of God. We likewise have the responsibility of setting the example before the world.

Now God has a purpose that he's working out, and you and I are included in that purpose. You need to stop and think. Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, and there are over six, maybe seven billion people on the face of the earth today, there's only a small handful that God has called, put in his church, opened our minds, given us understanding, and given us his spirit, given us the motivation, the power, the help that we need to obey him, and that we can be his sons, his daughters, that we can have a part in his family in the first resurrection to truly get in on the foundation. I saw a picture the other day, one of our members had sent to us of a beautiful, what would you call it, it's not a cruise ship, almost looked like a cruise ship, but a yacht. And one of the individuals who had gotten involved in Microsoft, Alan, very early on, now worth, what, 15, 20 billion dollars? Those individuals who got in on the ground floor of Microsoft are all billionaires today. That's simply because they got in when it started up, and look at all of the billions and billions that they've made since then. God's offering the same thing to you and me, and it's not just money, it's opportunity, it's responsibility, it is the opportunity to serve and to give. 2 Timothy describes this, 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 8, where Paul is writing here to Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 8.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But share with me and the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. So God didn't call us because of our works, because of how many good works you've done, how many charities you've started, how smart you are, how good looking we might be, how much authority we have, how much power, how much money, how much anything. Nothing to do with our good works or anything that we have done or accomplished. But as it says here, but according to His own purpose. God has a purpose, and His calling is according to that purpose. So the fact that you and I are here today is we're here because of God's purpose, God's plan, that God has a purpose for you, for me, for all of us. But according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, before time began. So you and I have had a holy calling, brethren, according to God's purpose, before time even started. God planned out all of this before Adam was created. Now God has a plan, and guess what? He has begun to reveal that plan to us. As the Bible says, the mystery of God that's been hidden to all the ages God has shown to us. Now why us? Why you? Why me? Well, it's not because we're the great of the world. God says He's called the weak. He's called those who are not the mighty, the intellectuals, the intelligentsia.

God wants to show what He can do, not what we can do. And everything that is accomplished is accomplished by the very power and might of God Himself, not by our own abilities and talents. Going on in verse 10, it says, But he has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to life through the gospel.

So God's plan and purpose has been revealed now through Christ, and His plan is tied in with eternal life and immortality. That's what God is offering us. On the one hand over here, well, I'll use this hand, is death, decay, destruction. On the other hand, eternal life and immortality. That's what God's offering us. Now God's going to offer it to everybody eventually. Every human being will be given that opportunity. But some are called now. You have been called now.

Whatever our name is, you can say, Hi, me. Whatever your name is, have been called now, handpicked by God to be a first fruit for a special calling.

Now in Romans 8.28, you can just jot that down. It says that we have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8.28. God has called us. He's opened our minds according to His purpose, not according to who we are. But let's go over to Ephesians 1 and verse 4.

Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4.

It says, Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. So that's the reason we've been called to become holy. That means to become like God is. And blameless.

And verse 5, Having predestinated us to the adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to His good pleasure of His will. So it's according to God's pleasure and according to His will. We are His children.

How many of you have children? Could I see your hands? A lot of us have children.

Your children are special to you, aren't they?

Now, all children are cute. All children are funny. All children are, you know, you like children. But I'll guarantee you, your own children, those that your wife bore, that you helped in the process and that you rear and they grow up. Your children are special to you.

Now, when we stop and we think about it, God is our Father. And we are special to Him. We are His children. And it's not like, well, there's my son, bang! You know, the God just smacks us around. No, we are His special treasure. We're loved and appreciated, hand-picked and called by God.

God has a plan. He has a purpose. And He doesn't have unwanted children. We're all there because God wanted us to be. He's got a purpose for us. Notice verse 12. That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. So we're the first ones to be able to trust in Christ.

We're the first fruits. And then verses 13 and 14, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. So God has given us that spirit, that power that we need, who is or which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory.

Brethren, how do we know that we will have eternal life? Because you have it residing in you. You have the earnest in you. Just like putting earnest money down on a house. You don't possess the house yet, but it's as good as yours, as long as you carry on through and you carry through with everything that you're supposed to. God gives us His Holy Spirit, and that's just like putting an earnest check down on the body that we will have one of these days. God is going to use the first fruits, brethren, to help convert the rest of humanity. That's part of the reason why God is calling us. He hasn't just called us to give us eternal life, and then we sit back, pluck on harp somewhere. We have been called to have a purpose and a part of God's plan to help the rest of humanity become a part of His family. As I said earlier, Israel was a first fruit to God. They were given a special responsibility. Let's go back to Exodus 19, and notice the responsibility they were given. Let's see how they handled it. Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6.

Verse 5, Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine. So you find that Israel was a special treasure. They were a special people to God. A special treasure is something that you treasure. Do you have anything in your home that you could call a special treasure, an heirloom?

That you've got something you inherited from your parents or your your grandparents? Something that you value? That maybe you put back somewhere on a shelf or behind a in a cabinet where it can be broken? Well, this is the way Israel was to God. They were His special treasure above all nations. And as verse 6 says, you shall be shall be to me a kingdom, a priest, a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

So they were to be a nation of priests. They were a holy people to God. Now, in 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, we find that the exact same language is used to describe the church today. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, where we find you are a chosen generation.

A royal priesthood. You and I become the priests of God. You and I serve in the temple of God today. This is, this church is, the temple of God today. We are those who serve and offer up sacrifices today.

We are a holy nation. So we are a nation of people, His own special people. So we are special also that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

So you and I have been called to show forth the character of God today.

When we go out into the world, wherever we live, we are to be a light to the world. We are to be an example to the world. God's character should shine through. We are to be a correct example, as verse 11 says. It says, Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, a stain from fleshly lusts which war against your soul.

Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, and when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

So they may not glorify God now. They may not say, look at those Epersons. There goes God's people. You know, there's a Christian. I always wanted to know what a true Christian was like.

But in the resurrection, when the Epersons appear to them, they will remember their example, and they will remember all of our examples, for good or bad. Hopefully for good. And they will acknowledge, as it says here in the day of visitation, ancient Israel failed their job. They were supposed to be an example to all other nations. Deuteronomy 4 and verse 1, you'll notice here. Deuteronomy 4 verse 1.

Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, go in and possess the land which the Lord your God of your fathers is giving you.

So they were going to live. They'd be able to live, prosper, be blessed, if they obeyed God. Now in verse 5, surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom, your understanding, the sight of the people, who will hear of all these statutes and say, surely this great nation is a wise and an understanding people. For what great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law? Only, verse 9, here's a warning, take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life, and teach them to your children, your grandchildren. For they were to be a light to all nations and bring God's way of life to them. They were to live it, and when the nations would want to find out, well, why aren't these people at war? Why aren't they cursed? Why don't they have famine and drought? Why are they prospering? Why don't they have crime? Why do they not have trouble with their cattle? Or why do their children not die in childbirth? You know, all of these things. Why do they not seem to be sick? They could say, because we obey God, we keep His law. Everybody else would say, hey, that's the way I want to go.

Well, brethren, when God resurrects people in the future, and they come up, or they live over into the millennium, and they want to know, well, how can I have a happy marriage? How can I have healthy children? How can I have whatever? You and I are going to be there, and we're going to say, this is the way. Walk in it. We will be the firstfruits. We will help guide them, lead them, and we will be a kingdom of priests and kings at that time. Now, you and I cannot fail today.

God is calling us and preparing us for specific positions and responsibility. See, God corrected the problem that there was with ancient Israel. The problem was they did not have the heart to obey God. God has given us His spirit. He's put His heart within us. He gives us His mind, His nature. And as Revelation 5.10 says, we're all familiar with that, that you and I will become a kingdom of priests and kings. We will become priests to all mankind in the future. Now, before the Levitical priesthood was established, the firstborn were the priests in the family. Now, He became the priest for the whole family. In other words, He was known as a patriarch. How many firstborns do we have here in the group? Okay. What you find is the firstborn, especially among the males, became the priest in the family.

In the Hebrew, the word firstfruits and the word firstborn come from the same Hebrew root word.

The Hebrew word means to be born first, to bear early, or new fruit. So, you find that both take their derivation from this Hebrew word. We find that Jesus Christ was the first to be born into the family of God, or the kingdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 15, let's go back and read that, 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 20, we find where Jesus Christ was the firstborn into the family of God. But He was also the first fruit. And we'll find both of those terms were used for Him.

Verse 20, now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Now, why is He called firstfruits? Because He was the absolute first one to be born into God's family. Now, you and I are also referred to as firstfruits. So, what does that mean? Well, it means that we will be among the first. And how do we know? Well, we're going to come up in what?

The first resurrection. The second resurrection comes later. So, as a result, we will be a part of the firstfruits. Now, verse 21, since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as an animal died, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.

But each one in his own order, so there is a time sequence in order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ at His coming, who are also referred to as firstfruits. Then comes the end when He delivers up the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule, all authority, and all power. Now, Acts chapter 26 and verse 23, just backing up here a few pages, Acts 26-23, when Paul was preaching before Agrippa, notice what he said. That Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead and proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. So, Christ is referred to as the firstfruits, but He was also the firstborn from the dead. On over here in chapter 8 of Romans, Romans chapter 8 and verse 29, notice this is for whom He foreknew He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. So, Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus Christ will have the most important responsibility under the Father in the Kingdom of God. He is second in charge. We will be among the first to be born into the family of God at the resurrection. We also will be given responsibilities and duties.

We need to stop and think and never let it go away from our minds, our recognition, our awareness, our understanding why God called us. Mr. Armstrong used to say, God hasn't just called you for salvation. He's called you, one, to do a work today, but He's called us to have special responsibilities and duties. And every one of us is being trained in a way for a specific responsibility and a specific duty. Anciently in Israel, the firstborn became the next head of the family.

He became responsible for its continuance and for its welfare. He looked after his widowed mother. He looked after his sisters until they got married. He was responsible for the younger members of the family. He was the firstborn, and if anything happened to his father, the responsibility passed to him. He had more responsibilities than just his own wife and his own children or his own immediate family. He also had a special relationship with his parents, especially his father, because his father had to work with him to groom him, to train him, to teach him the responsibilities of what it means to be a firstborn. How if something happened to him, if he died prematurely, or if he died by accident or whatever, that the firstborn could step in. Take over. He was trained and prepared to rule. Guess what God is doing with us?

You and I are being trained and prepared to rule. The very fact that we come here every Sabbath, that we come to the holy days, that God blesses us with children. We have our families. What are we doing in our families? We're learning how to rule, are we not? What do we do in our own personal life? Well, we're learning how to rule over ourselves. We're learning how to conquer the flesh. And as we heard in the sermonette, that God gives us that spirit of power and of a sound mind to have the self-control and the power that we need to have, not a spirit of fear.

So God is looking and He's seeing, are we able to rule over ourselves? And are we able to rule our families? And then are we able to rule or serve within the church? Because when we use the term rule, we're talking about serving. That's a big aspect of it. Now, there comes a time when you have to exercise authority, just as dad and mom serve the children in the family, but they are also in charge.

They have the responsibilities and the duty to be responsible for that family. So we have been called, and you and I have a special relationship with God. Romans 8 here, verse 23, notice this special relationship. It says, not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

So you and I, brethren, are the firstfruits of God, and we are the ones that God is working through. We are the first to be begotten of God. Now, notice verse 14, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. So it's not just having the Spirit of God, but you've got to yield to God. You've got to allow God to lead you, to direct you. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.

The word Abba is a term of endearment. It means like Papa or Daddy, a close relationship. So you and I, when we get down and pray, we look on our Father. Now, I'm not saying others won't have that, but at this time, in this age, you and I can have that special relationship and know that we have a connection with the Father, that He is our Father.

We are His sons and daughters, and that He is one who we can go to. Just like a little child goes and says, Papa or Daddy, the God hears us. Then in verse 16, the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs. Heirs of God, so you and I are going to inherit what God has, and joint heirs with Christ. Now, whatever Christ inherited, you and I will inherit.

And He's inherited the whole universe. God is going to give us everything. We are joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. So you and I will be given a glorified body, just like He had. We will be made immortal, and God will begin to use us to be the teachers, to be the kings and the priests in the future. As verse 19 tells us, the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

The whole creation is waiting on us. It's waiting for us to be trained. It's waiting for us to rule, to help liberate them, to help guide them and lead them, and to direct the whole universe. God will use the firstfruits to work with His family for all eternity. Not only is it just going to be the millennium and the white throne judgment, but God will use us on into eternity. We will have major responsibilities and duties. The firstborn is used, if you'll look the term up, to designate a special quality of strength.

The first of the thing is normally the strongest. So what we need to realize is that God has called us, and He's called us for a reason. Do we take our calling as important? Or do we sort of, you know, just slack off after a while? Realize we represent all humanity.

We have to prove ourselves loyal, faithful, trustworthy. We have to prove that we will never turn from God, that we will never go away from Him in His ways. Why are we called now?

Well, we're called now because there are factors and obstacles that we have to overcome now that those in the millennium won't have. Those in the white throne judgment won't have. We have to overcome Satan now. He will be eliminated at that time. You will not be free to deceive man. We have to overcome society and come out of it. And society at that time will be totally different. It will be God's society. Even human nature will not be as devious and perverted as it is today because Satan won't be around to constantly be meddling and leading man astray. Satan will be locked up. So we have more to fight against, more to overcome in that sense, and we will have a greater responsibility. The firstfruits or the firstborn have a special birthright. In Genesis 43, we find that God reveals clearly in the scriptures the law concerning the firstborn and the birthright that goes along with that. And are these things just written for human beings? Are they not written for our understanding? We might understand them and apply them in a spiritual sense. Well, verse 33, this is remember where the sons of Joseph, excuse me, the sons of Jacob come and Joseph's in Egypt.

And they sit down before him and they sit down as it says here, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. The men looked in astonishment at one another.

But it talks about the firstborn and his birthright. There was a right of birth. Now, that right of birth gave certain blessings that were passed on, but it also bequeathed certain responsibilities and certain duties that the firstborn had. In chapter 48, we find more about this.

Beginning in verse 10, chapter 48 of the book of Genesis in verse 10, it says, And verse 14, Now notice in verse 18, Now, in Deuteronomy 21, you find that this also had to do with a greater blessing, but also with the inheritance.

In chapter 21 of the book of Deuteronomy, verse 15, It says, Notice there is a firstborn status on his son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn. But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, so that he is for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his. So the firstborn inherited a double portion. What that means, as an example, I have five sons, if they had anything to inherit, and I was back at this time, we would divide it up six ways, six portions, and the firstborn would get two portions. Everybody else would get one. He would get a double portion. So you'll find, then, that there is going to be a greater reward, greater inheritance, greater responsibility in the kingdom of God. Hebrews 11.35 refers to the first resurrection as a better resurrection. The more we change today, brethren, the greater will be our responsibility, our duties, our reward in the kingdom of God. We will be the beginning of God's kingdom, and we will assist. We will work with Christ. Isaiah 40 reveals an interesting factor, though. Isaiah 40. What if we fail? Isaiah 40, verses 1 and 2. Notice what happened to Israel. Beginning in verse 1, comfort, yes, comfort, my people, says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she is received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. So she was punished double if she didn't succeed. So we have double blessings or double trouble, and we'd rather not have double trouble. We'd rather have double blessings. Can you lose your birthright? Well, the obvious answer is yes. How would you lose your birthright? Well, one way is through sin and weakness. In Genesis 49, we have one example in the Bible of how this took place. Genesis 49, beginning in verse 3 and 4.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, not Joseph, not Ephraim and Manasseh, but Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel because you went up to your father's bed.

Then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. So as a result, he was disqualified from the birthright, and it was passed on. 1 Chronicles chapter 5 describes this in a little more detail. 1 Chronicles chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.

It says, Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright. He lost it because of his sin, his wickedness.

Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the rulers, although the birthright was Joseph. So you find the scepter or the rulership comes down through Judah, and Christ came through Judah. But the birthright was passed on to Joseph, and then you find that Ephraim was to be the greatest and Manasseh second. So you and I, brethren, because of our sins, because we don't grow and overcome, we compromise, we could lose our crown. In fact, in the New Testament, we are told in Revelation chapter 3, we are given a warning. This is a specific warning for those of us who live at the end time. Revelation chapter 3, beginning in verse 8, I know your works, see I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, and you have a little strength and have kept my word, have not denied my name.

Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept my commandment to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour trial, which comes upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast! Notice you and I are to hold fast. Don't give up. Don't quit. Don't let anyone come along and divert you, shortchange you, so that you lose your crown.

Brethren, we don't want anyone to take our crown. We could lose our birthright, we could lose our crown, because we don't see the importance of it.

There are those who are willing to give up God's kingdom for an extra parcel of something.

They want more money, so they stop tithing, and they take that money, maybe buy a second car, or buy something else that they think that that money will buy and make them happy in this life. And by so doing, you're giving up the wonderful riches that God promises to give to us and to share with us for all eternity. We have an example in Genesis 25 where this happened.

A lot of examples back in the book of Genesis. In chapter 25, beginning in verse 28, chapter 25-28, we're familiar with the example of Esau.

Now Jacob cooked a stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. But we've all been tired. We've all been out working hard during the day, and he came in.

Esau said to Jacob, please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary. Therefore, his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, sell me your birthright as of this day.

Esau said, look, I'm about to die, so what is this birthright to me? See, he didn't consider it very important. And Jacob said, swear to me, as of this day, so he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. Then he ate and drank and arose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Rather, we can despise our calling that God has called us to. We want to hold on to that calling and not give up. Hebrews 12 shows us the application of this to us today. Hebrews 12, verse 15. Hebrews 12, verse 15. It says, looking carefully lest any one fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up calls trouble, by this many become defiled. So we're told to look out and not become bitter. Lest there be any fornicator, profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food, a bowl of lentil soup, sold his birthright. For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. So, brethren, make sure that we never slight our calling. In Hebrews 11.24, we find that Moses was just the opposite of this. Hebrews 11.24.

By faith, Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. That's quite a stand. You're in Pharaoh's court, and you refuse to be called her daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin, the saving the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he looked to the reward. By faith, he forsook Egypt, enduring the wrath of the king. For he endured as seeing him who was invisible. Can we do that, brethren? Can we constantly know that God is there and that we look to the reward? We look to the calling. We look to the wonderful opportunity and blessings that God wants to share with us to be able to help other human beings, the masses, come to understand God's way of life. We need to be loyal to the family and to our calling. Over here in chapter 12 of the book of Hebrews, we'll finish with this. In verse 18, Hebrews 12, 18, I want you to notice, it says, "...we have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire and to blackness and darkness and tempest." It's talking about Mount Sinai when God came down on the top of Mount Sinai to give the Ten Commandments. And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words so that those who heard it made that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. But you and I, in verse 22, have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. So we come to that very throne where God is, to the new Jerusalem that He is building for us, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly or the festival assembly in church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. Rather, our names are enrolled in the book of life in heaven. We're registered there. They're kept there. We are the church of the firstborn. We're also the firstfruits. But here we have a direct application of firstborn applying to us, the first ones who will be in the resurrection. And unless we do something to have our name wiped out of that book, we will be in God's kingdom. And as it goes on to say, to God and judge of all and to the spirits of just man made perfect. So you find that those who've gone before us who have died, the Spirit returns to God at death. The body goes to the grave, and God will, when He resurrects us, give us a body and put that Spirit back into it.

The spirits of just men made perfect are complete. So it shows that you can become complete, mature, and God wants us to be a part of His family. So, brethren, God is building a family.

You and I are a part of those first roots, the firstborn who are enrolled or written in heaven.

He is providing the foundation for all eternity that He is going to work with and work through.

The first roots will be given greater responsibility for eternity in the family of God. The world is waiting for us. The universe waits for us. Let's not sell ourselves short.