10/30/11 - The Pinciple of Multiplication - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues "The Blessed Life" series with, "The Principle of Multiplication" in this Sunday morning celebration.

The Principle of Multiplication
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, October 30, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:


The Principle of Multiplication

There is a Biblical principle, built into creation itself by God, called Multiplication.  The 1st blessing God spoke over human beings was “be fruitful and multiply”.  We struggle thinking in multiplication terms.  When God told Abram, who became Abraham, that he would become the father of nations, Abram couldn’t think past “a son”.  God took him outside and showed him the stars, painted a picture for him of multiplication, and basically said, “Quit thinking addition, start thinking multiplication.”  Today, the Bible says that Abraham is the father of our faith.  If you are a Christian, Abraham is your natural father—that is multiplication!  It requires supernatural intervention.  It requires God’s involvement in our actions. 

We see it in creation.  Plant an apple seed and you don’t get an apple, you get a tree full of apples—Multiplication.  Supernatural intervention.  “Anybody can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.” Tom Paterson.

Jesus taught that when we give for the good of the Kingdom, expecting nothing in return, then the multiplication principle will kick in and we will see 30, 60, 100 fold return on our giving.  As we have learned all month, when we become a conduit for God’s resources, when we give because we are grateful, when generosity is our goal and not getting, then we will live the Blessed Life.  

Today, we will come and bring what we have, our Thanksgiving Offering.  We will give because we “have a heart for the house”.  When we do that, seeking nothing but the blessing of God’s Kingdom, we activate the multiplication principle.  Over the coming weeks, months and years, you will see the power of multiplication as God multiplies the time, talent and resources you invest into His Kingdom.  People’s lives will be changed forever, including our own, as a result of our worship in giving today. 

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NLT) “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  (AMP) “…God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]…”
Multiplication Principle:  Give from gratefulness, give with your heart engaged with God, as an act of worship, full of joy because of the opportunity to honor the God who set you free, and you activate the multiplication principle—like the farmer who plants the apple seed.

Luke 9:12-17 (MESSAGE) 12As the day declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere."  13-14"You feed them," Jesus said.  They said, "We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody." (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)  14-17But he went ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about fifty." They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.

1.    “You feed them” We are His representatives here, we are the way He meets needs on this planet.  “Bring Me what you have” is His request. 

2.   “Sit them down in groups of fifty” Each of us has a circle of influence.  As a church, we have a circle of influence.  He expects us to use our resources to increase the Kingdom’s influence in that circle.

3.   “He took the loaves and fishes, looked toward Heaven, blessed them and broke them” If we are going to influence our circle with our resources, we must look to Heaven for supernatural intervention.  Hebrews 7:8 (NKJV) “Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he (Jesus) receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.”  We give here, but our giving is received in Heaven by Jesus Himself.  He blesses it.  Touch Heaven, Change Earth.

4.   “He gave the bread to the disciples to hand out” He takes what we give Him, blesses it, and puts it in our hands to reach those in our circle of influence. The miracle of multiplication happened in the disciples’ hands.  They brought what they had (5 loaves and 2 fish), gave it to Jesus with a willing heart (note their “cheerful giver” response—“We’ll go into town and buy enough to feed this crowd is you want us to.”), He blessed it and broke it calling on Heaven to touch it, and as they used it to meet the needs in each circle it multiplied in their hands!

5.   “twelve baskets of leftovers” Note the completion of the Multiplication Principle:  you give with a heart for the Kingdom, a heart for His house.  Heaven touches your giving and you use it for the good of others, and your house is blessed—note 2 Corinthians 9:8 “Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  Big difference in the Multiplication Principle and the “Giving to Get” thinking—Multiplication is activated when we give in response to His goodness (a grateful heart) and for the good of His Kingdom and the good of others (a generous heart).

10/26/11 - Harvest PT4 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches about "The Harvest" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Listen now: Download today's podcast

10/23/11 - The Blessed Life PT4 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues "The Blessed Life" series with part 4, "1st Things 1st - God Must Be First" in this Sunday morning celebration.

The Blessed Life PT4
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, October 23, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:


The Blessed Life…
1st Things 1st - God Must Be First

There are 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith, but over 2000 on money and possessions. Jesus talked about money in 16 out of 38 parables. You will never have a complete relationship with God until you understand and practice His principles of handling money.  How we handle our finances tells God “Who’s on first in our lives!”

Psalm 16:5 “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.”
(MESSAGE) My choice is you, God, first and only.  And now I find I'm your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!”

Romans 11:16 (NCV) “If the first piece of bread is offered to God, then the whole loaf is made holy.”


3 Principles To Live the Blessed Life:

1.  The Firstborn will be sacrificed or redeemed-your choice.
2.  The Firstfruits must be offered, it must be brought.
3.  The Tithe must be the 1st 10%.


1. The Firstborn Will Be Sacrificed or Redeemed—one of the 2: you choose.

Ex 13:1-2 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”

Ex 13:12-13 “you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him. 13 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.”

Every time one of your animals delivered its firstborn, you had to sacrifice it, or if it was unclean, you had to redeem it with a lamb.
•  The firstborn clean had to be sacrificed
•  The firstborn unclean had to be redeemed.

Do you realize what this is a picture of?
•  Jesus, the Lamb, God’s firstborn Son, was born clean.
•  We were born unclean and therefore the clean was sacrificed for the unclean, and we were redeemed, purchased back.  Jesus is God’s tithe.  He is God’s firstfruit. God takes tithing personally. (1 Corinthians 15:20 NKJV “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”) The tithe is not legalism or religious duty. It’s about putting 1st things 1st! Jesus was God’s tithe!  God gave Jesus first in faith even when we were sinners. God didn’t wait to see if we would change or repent or get worthy. He put us 1st in His heart and the result is we are saved.  The tithe is about putting God first! It’s about our heart!
•  Any first thing given is never lost (redeemed). Any first thing not given is always lost (sacrificed). (If you don’t redeem it you will break its neck) The First belongs to God!  (Christine’s story about the necklace)
•  The first portion given redeemed the rest. The first portion is the redemptive portion.
•  Would you rather try to make it through life with 100% and all of it cursed, or with 90% and all of it redeemed and blessed?

Coming to Church is giving the first to the Lord.
•  Some people’s week begins on Monday to make deals. Some people’s week begins on Friday to party. For believers, our week begins on Sunday! The New Testament Church met on Sunday because of the principle of firstfruits.


2. The Firstfruits Must Be Offered: We don’t give them, we bring them!
Ex 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.”

2 Chronicles 31:5 “The people of Israel responded immediately and generously by bringing the first of their crops and grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity—a tithe of all they produced.”

God’s portion is devoted or consecrated to the temple, which means that it has a blessing. But if it’s not given to God, it’s cursed because it’s stolen.  Achan took the consecrated things into his house (Joshua 6-7) and it brought the curse on his whole household and hurt the entire nation.
Why do we bring it and not give it?  Because it is not mine.

Why did God accept Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s? Genesis 4:3-5 “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.”
•  Cain’s was brought “in the process of time.” It wasn’t first fruits but Abel’s was the firstborn!
•  God cannot accept anything other than the first and the best.  He is perfect.  He cannot change.  If He plays 18 holes of golf His score will be 18.


3. The Tithe Must Be Brought First

Leviticus 27:30 “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.”

Proverbs 3:9-10 “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.”

The first portion belongs to God! Is it really faith to give 10% after we’ve paid all of the bills first?  Aren’t we establishing our priorities when we willingly pay everybody else first and then see if there’s enough leftover to give God His Portion?  Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for giving 10% but neglecting the faith portion of the tithe. (Matthew 23:23)
Why did God say that all of the Silver and the Gold from Jericho had to be given to the Lord’s house? (Joshua 6)
•  Because it was the first city in the Promised Land, firstfruits. You can have all of the rest, but give the first to me. God didn’t say, “After you’ve conquered the Promised Land, then give me 10%.”
•  He said, “Give me all of the silver and gold from the first city” and that took faith!
Abraham, the father of our faith, offered Isaac, his first.
•  God didn’t go to Abraham when he only had Isaac and say, “After you have 4 or 5 more sons, I’m going to come to you and ask you for one of them.” God asked for the first when Abraham had one and only the promise of more.

Because the First Portion is the redemptive portion!
•  The first portion is the portion that redeems the rest. The first portion carries the blessing. God wants us to be blessed! Make sure you give the redemptive portion to the One who has the ability to bless the rest.


Matthew 6:31-33 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Put God 1st and everything else just finds its place. Our priorities stay where they should be. It’s like the arrow—the tithing is the tip.  Follow God’s “order” and it is much easier to hit the mark.  Do it “our own way” (iniquity: Isaiah 53) and we miss the mark.

10/19/11 - The Harvest Breakdown - Work - Mike Barker

Mike Barker teaches on "The Harvest Breakdown - Work" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

The Harvest Breakdown

Mike Barker

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

Sermon Notes:

The Harvest Breakdown

WORK

Genesis 8:22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting (seedtime) and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

2 Corinthians 9:10 “For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

Note it is also about effort—work.

Harvest requires 4 elements: 

1. Seed

2. Ground 

3. Work

4. Trusting God  

If there is a breakdown in your harvest, it can be traced to at least one of those elements.

  

We are going to be talking about the 3rd element, work. One thing that we should know about work is that it is Hard. And hard work has a tendency to drive people. Sometimes in opposite directions, this can cause a break down in the element of work.

Two of the biggest breakdowns are laziness and the opposite, thinking “If I just work harder, I can make it happen.”  

There are three different types of workers. They all fit in three categories.

1.   The Lazy Worker-

Is not self motivated, or motivated at all. They have to be told what to do on a continuous basis, and they want to get away with doing the least amount of work as possible. The lazy worker is not concerned about their productivity or the overall production as a whole. They tend to be self absorbed.

“They lack vision and understanding about the purpose of the harvest” 

2.   The Large-Scale Worker-

Is self motivated and does not necessarily care about the quality of work, only the amount of production. These people tend to follow their own direction. They work at an increased pace, trying to produce more than any of the other workers, sometimes like it is a competition. The machinery that they use is pushed to the limits and often breaks because of the abuse. Their drive to push the envelope can cause collateral damage, which leaves the farmer picking up the pieces and paying the bill.

“They are giving to get”

The key to the work expected by the Lord, as our component in the Harvest, is willing obedience—Isaiah 1:19.

Isaiah 1:19 (NLT)
19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 

If we want to eat, and if we want a harvest, it requires work.

There are three elements of work that we need to look at. And if we apply these we will see good results. 

1. Work smart:  

Jeremiah 4:3 (NLT)
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. 

Quit investing good seed and hard work in ground that does not produce.

2. Work hard:

Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. 

This is where most people fail because hard work is hard work.  

Ecclesiastes 5:3 (NKJV)
3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words. 

Romans 12:11 (NLT)
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 

Note that hard work is connected to serving the Lord with enthusiasm.

3. Work consistently:

Proverbs 13:11 (NLT)
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. 

The Law of Guaranteed Harvest is based on consistent, persistent, enduring hard work. 

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 

The third type and best worker is:

3.   The Loyal Worker-

This worker is willing and obedient, who knows what is expected of them and does it without question or complaining. They know the Big Picture. They are not in it for themselves, they put others first. They are low maintenance high capacity workers. They are going stay until the job is done and done correctly. It is an honor to be part of the harvest. They are invested in the Harvest. They are “ALL IN”.

“They understand their role in the Harvest and the Harvest is satisfaction enough”

Because of their selfless dedication, they are blessed when the Harvest comes.

When we work smart, hard, and consistently; there are a couple of key things we need to remember. And we need to do it with the right attitude.

Excellence and enthusiasm: 

Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)
7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Great lesson here is: 

Daniel 6:3 (NLT)
3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 

Attention to Detail: 

2 Corinthians 6:1 (MSG)
1 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. 

Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing.

Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. 

People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times;

As we prepare for a harvest whether it’s in our finances, family, or the Kingdom what we need to remember is this:

The breakdowns in the harvest occur when we make poor choices.

We need to ask ourselves these two questions.

1. Are the things I am doing or working on lining up with the word of God?

2. Are they extending the Kingdom of God?

As a willing and obedient servant, we should all answers these questions with a joyous YES!

Let’s get prepared for the Harvest.

1. Good seed

2. Good Ground (soil)

3. Work (smart, hard, continuous)

4. Trust God

10/16/11 - Blessed Life PT3 - Pastor Robert Morris

"The Blessed Life" series continues with part 3, "Breaking the Spirit of Mammon" in this Sunday morning celebration

The Blessed Life PT3 - Breaking the Spirit of Mammon
Pastor Robert Morris
Sunday, October 16, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Luke 16:9-15
===============
Luke 16:9-15 (NKJV)
---------------
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
“No servant 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.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them,  “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Three Questions
===============
1.   What is mammon?
2.   Is money evil?
3.   What should I do with money?

1.   What is mammon?
===============
-    It tries to replace God with things
-    It promises you everything but gives you nothing
-    It is the spirit of Antichrist
-    It is subtle

2.   Is money evil?
===============
-   Money is neutral
-   God will use it as a tool in our hand

3.   What should I do with money?
===============
-    Be a good steward and give generously

10/09/11 - Blessed Life PT2 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "The Blessed Life" with part 2, "1st Things 1st" in this Sunday morning celebration.

The Blessed Life PT2
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, October 09, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

The Blessed Life…
1st Things 1st—God must be 1st

There are 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith, but over 2000 on money and possessions. Jesus talked about money in 16 out of 38 parables. You will never have a complete relationship with God until you understand and practice His principles of handling money.  (Matthew 6:24—cannot be loyal to both)

We want to put God first in every area including our Finances! Finances relate to every area of your life. How we handle our finances tells God “Who’s first in our lives!”

Matthew 6:21 “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Romans 12:1-2 “Don’t be conformed, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  “God changes us by changing the way we think.” 

I learned these principles before I was a pastor.  Sheryll and I instituted them once we saw them in the Word. 


3 Things we must understand about Tithing:
-   It is a test.
-   It is Biblical.
-   It is a benefit.

Malachi 3:6-11   He does not change—important point.  Ordinance: a principal of “ordinary behavior”. But isn’t this to Israel? Paul teaches in the NT that everything that happened to Israel was an example for us.  Isn’t this OT?  Just 15 verses later and it would have been in NT.  God put it where He wants it because it is a test.

*   Tithing is a test.  The number 10 in the Bible represents tests.  How many plagues in Egypt?  How many commandments?  How many times did God test Israel in the wilderness?  How many times did Jacob’s wages change?  How many days of testing for Daniel?  How many virgins tested in Matthew 25?  How many days of testing mentioned in Revelation?
   -    Jesus bore the curse for me so I can’t be cursed.  He also bore our sin, our sickness.  I can choose to live under a curse even though He paid the price for us not to be.
   -    I am under Grace, not under the law.  Can I now murder, steal, commit adultery?  In fact, Grace exceeds the Law.  If it was wrong under law, it is wrong under grace.  If it was right under the law, it is right under grace. Matthew 5:17-20—the righteousness of grace always exceeds that of the law.  Vs 21-22, 27-28: Jesus who is FULL of GRACE teaches that grace will not only fulfill the law but exceed it.

*   Tithing is Biblical: Genesis 14:18-20 500 years before the law.  Hebrews 7:1-8 teaches that Melchisidek is a type of Christ, maybe even Christ himself. Mortal men may take my tithe out of the offering box, but it is Jesus who is receiving it. Genesis 28:22 Jacob tithing 400 years before the law—note to God’s house.  Leviticus 27:30-It belongs to God. Deuteronomy 26:2 take the tithe to a place where God has chosen to make His name abide. Matthew 23:23 The one who saved me said “You ought to do it.”

*   Tithing is a Benefit: 2 Chronicles 31:4-10    Tithing empowered the priests to devote themselves to the Word of God. The King was concerned for the welfare of the people when he saw how much they were giving.  The priests told him that ever since they began tithing, the Lord was blessing them so much they couldn’t wait to give. The heaps were the 10%.  The big heaps were in the people’s homes!


3 Principles To Live the Blessed Life:
1.   The Firstborn must be sacrificed or redeemed.
2.   The Firstfruits must be offered, it must be brought.
3.   The Tithe must be 1st.


1. The Firstborn Must Be Sacrificed or Redeemed

Ex 13:1-2 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”

Ex 13:12-13 “you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him. 13 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.”

Every time one of your animals delivered its firstborn, you had to sacrifice it, or if it was unclean, you had to redeem it with a lamb.
*   The firstborn clean had to be sacrificed
*   The firstborn unclean had to be redeemed.

Do you realize what this is a picture of?
*   Jesus, the Lamb, God’s firstborn Son, was born clean.
*   We were born unclean and therefore the clean was sacrificed for the unclean, and we were redeemed. (Purchased back)  Jesus is God’s tithe.  God takes tithing personally.

The tithe is not legalism or religious duty. It’s about putting 1st things 1st! Jesus was God’s tithe!  God gave Jesus first in faith even when we were sinners. God didn’t wait to see if we would change or repent or get worthy.  The tithe is about putting God first! It’s about our heart!
*   Any first thing given is never lost. Any first thing not given is always lost. (If you don’t redeem it you will break its neck) The First belongs to God!

Romans 11:16 (NCV) “If the first piece of bread is offered to God, then the whole loaf is made holy.”
*   The first portion given redeemed the rest. The first portion is the redemptive portion.
*   Would you rather try to make it through life with 100% and all of it cursed, or with 90% and all of it redeemed and blessed?

Coming to Church is giving the first to the Lord.
*   Some people’s week begins on Monday to make deals. Some people’s week begins on Friday to party. For believers, our week begins on Sunday! The New Testament Church met on Sunday because of the principle of firstfruits.


2. The Firstfruits Must Be Offered: We don’t give them, we bring them!

Ex 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.”

2 Chronicles 31:5 “The people of Israel responded immediately and generously by bringing the first of their crops and grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity—a tithe of all they produced.”

God’s portion is devoted or consecrated to the temple, which means that it has a blessing. But if it’s not given to God, it’s cursed because it’s stolen.  Achan took the consecrated things into his house (Joshua 6-7) and it brought the curse on his whole household and hurt the entire nation. 

Why do we bring it and not give it?  Because it is not mine.  It’s like returning the car I loaned you while I was out of town—you are not giving me anything, you are bring me what is mine.  I don’t designate where it goes, because it doesn’t belong to me.  It goes where the owner says it goes and the Bible never says the tithe is allowed to go anywhere but the house of the Lord.

Why did God accept Abel offering, but not Cain’s? Genesis 4:3-5 “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.”
*   Cain’s was brought “in the process of time.” It wasn’t first fruits but Abel’s was the firstborn!
*   God cannot accept anything other than the first and the best.  He is perfect.  He cannot change.  If He plays 18 holes of golf His score will be 18.


3. The Tithe Must Be Brought First

Leviticus 27:30 “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.”

Proverbs 3:9-10 “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.” Is it possible to give 10% and not be tithing?

The Firstborn belongs to God. The Firstfruits belong to God. And the tithe belongs to God also but it must be first!

It’s the same principle! The first portion belongs to God!
If I gave you 10 1-dollar bills, (1) How much is the tithe? (2) Which one is the tithe?

Let’s say that you get paid on Thursday. You pay all of your bills and then buy groceries. Then write the tithe check before you come to Church. Is it really faith to give 10% after we’ve paid all of the bills first?  Aren’t we establishing our priorities when we willingly pay everybody else first and then see if there’s enough leftover to give God His Portion?

Why did God say that all of the Silver and the Gold from Jericho had to be given to the Lord’s house? (Joshua 6)
*   Because it was the first city in the Promised Land, firstfruits.
*   You can have all of the rest, but give the first to me.
*   God didn’t say, “After you’ve conquered the Promised Land, then give me 10%.”  (Or 10% of Jericho)
*   He said, “Give me all of the silver and gold from the first city” and that took faith!
Abraham, the father of our faith, offered Isaac, his first.
*   God didn’t go to Abraham when he only had Isaac and say, “After you have 4 or 5 more sons, I’m going to come to you and ask you for one of them.” God asked for the first when he had one and only the promise of more.

Because the First Portion is the redemptive portion!
*   The first portion is the portion that redeems the rest.
*   The first portion carries the blessing.
*   You don’t want to give the first portion to the electric company! We fear the IRS, and GMAC, the mortgage company and the phone company more than we fear the Lord. Another way to say that is we respect them more or we put them first rather than the Lord.  Make sure you give the redemptive portion to the One who has the ability to bless the rest.

Tithing says, “I’ve got a stack of bills here but I’m going to give to you first just like you gave Jesus first.”

Matthew 6:31-33 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Put God 1st and everything else just finds its place. Our priorities stay where they should be.

Why do we tithe, why do we bring the first and the best? 

Exodus 13:14-15 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.”

Because we haven’t always been Christians, we haven’t always been saved.  We were slaves, our backs scarred by the lashes of brutal taskmasters, nothing was ours, even our families could be used at another’s will.  Then God, by the power of His mighty hand, delivered me.

10/05/11 - Blessed Life - Pastor Sheryll Ashmore

Pastor Sheryll Ashmore teaches about "The Blessed Life" in this Wednesday evening celebration.

Pastor Sheryll Ashmore
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Listen now: Download today's podcast

10/02/11 - Blessed Life PT1 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore begins the series "The Blessed Life" with part 1, "It's a Heart Thing" in this Sunday morning celebration.

The Blessed Life PT1
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, October 02, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Matthew 7:1-2
===============
Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV)
---------------
“Judge  not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:37-38
===============
Luke 6:37-38 (NKJV)
---------------
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Notes
===============
Notes:

Deuteronomy 15:7-15
===============
Deuteronomy 15:7-15 (NKJV)
---------------
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the lord against you, and it become sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’
“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the lord has blessed you with, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.

It's a Heart Thing...
===============
1.   Deal with a selfish heart.
2.   Deal with a grieving heart.
3.   Develop a generous heart. Matthew 6:21
4.   Develop a grateful heart.

09/28/11 - Wednesday Celebration - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on this Wednesday evening celebration.

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

09/25/11 - Crazy About Personal Rights - Pastor Michael Adams

Pastor Michael Adams continues the series "Crazy" with part 4, "Crazy About Personal Rights" in this Sunday morning celebration.

Crazy PT4
Pastor Michael Adams
Sunday, September 25, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Crazy Week Four- Crazy About Personal Rights

Crazy People Know the Importance of Personal Rights!

1 Peter 2:9  KJV
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

NLT
As a result you show others the goodness of God!


A Child:

1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

-   A child makes choices based on wants or needs often without thought or consequences

As you give up personal rights you will gain influence. If you keep them you will loose influence.

Swapping Personal Rights for Influence:

*Make the trade- my life for the life of Christ

Galatians 2:20 - New Living Translation (NLT)
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
   
- All in, no hesitation, no reservation, reckless abandonment
- Identify with Christ
   *   You become what you behold
   *   You become what you cling to

2 Peter 2:9
Slave to what controls you


* Crazy About Others

2 Corinthians 6:3 - New Living Translation (NLT)
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.


Message:

Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post
- Others Focused
- Lifestyle of valuing people over
- makes us safe place for people

* Crazy About Jesus

Peter, James and John
Mount of Transfiguration
Mark 9:2
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed,

Jairus’ Daughter
Mark 5:37

Gethsemane
Mark 14:33

Paul’s Admonition
Galatians 2:9

In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church.

You might be crazy if you have fallen so in love with Jesus that you love what he loves and hate what he hates and it moves you to give up all personal rights so that others may know Him.

09/21/11 - Wednesday Celebration - Tony Sherrill

Tony Sherrill teaches on this Wednesday evening celebration.

Tony Sherrill
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com

09/18/11 - Crazy Bout Connections - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "Crazy" with part 3, "Crazy Bout Connections" in this Sunday morning celebration.

Crazy PT3
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, September 18, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Normal people believe in God, sometimes attend a church, and may read the Bible, but their relationship with God is not so pre-eminent in their lives that it affects their relationships.  Crazy people are pickled—so baptized, so immersed, into the life of God that they cannot “hide” in the cucumber patch.  Crazy people have crazy connections.

1.  Matthew 10:34-40
    1.  Life—lose it or find it depending on much you will let your relationship with Jesus mess with your other relationships. 
        -   4 Basic Human Needs:
            1.  A Sense of Worth. 
            2.  A Sense of Belonging. 
            3.  A Sense of Purpose. 
            4.  A Sense of Competence. 

2.  Four types of relationships in a healthy life: 
    1.  Mentors
    2.  Models
    3.  Friends
    4.  Partners
    Matthew 11:2-3

If our partners are not reinforcing the hand of God in our life, we will slowly begin begin the descent from Crazy to normal. 

So What/Now What?
-   Get Baptized
-   Surround yourself with Crazy friends who know the real “High Life
-   Join a SOAP group.  Start a SOAP group. 
-   Connect to your church on a deeper level. 

09/14/11 - Wednesday Service - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on this Wednesday evening celebration.

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com