If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. Romans 11:16 (NIV)

People often ask why the church meets on Sunday instead of the traditional Jewish Sabbath of Saturday. The reason is that we worship Jesus, and partake of his resurrection life. Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, not the last day of the week. Since the scripture says that when Christ was raised, we were raised with him to share his new life and since he is called “the Firstfruits of our salvation, and the First-begotten from the dead,” our Sunday morning service is a firstfruits celebration.

The principle of firstfruits can be found throughout the Bible, and it can be applied to any area of life. This biblical principle basically states that when we give the first portion of anything to God in worship and sacrifice, the whole thing is blessed.

This is why we bring the tithe, the first 10% of our income to God in worship. That act of sacrificial worship brings the entirety of our financial and work-life under God’s blessing.

Giving God the first hours of your new week brings the entirety of your week under his blessing.

Giving the first part honors God and communicates to the whole spiritual world that he holds first place in your life.

I want to encourage you today, whether you join us for our live service on Sunday morning, or you choose to join us by live-stream, that you give the first part of your week to the Lord. It can feel more convenient to watch the archive of the service or listen to the podcast later. That’s fine to do occasionally, but there is something significant about the sacrifice and priority of giving those first hours of the week to the Lord, and meeting with the church body when the church body is meeting.

During this odd season, I think it is more important than ever to keep your focus on the Lord and walk in his ways. He has established the giving of firstfruits as an open door to keeping our lives in the center of his grace and blessing. I encourage you to make the most of it.

Pastor John Clement