OPENING STATEMENT:

Today we will link the Principle of Firstfruits to another principle: The Principle of Multiplication.

The story in 2 Kings ties the 2 principles together: Firstfruit and Multiplication.

⁴² Then a man came from Baal Shalisha and brought the man of God (Elisha) bread of the FIRSTFRUITS, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”

• The bread of the firstfruits was made from the grains of the crop and brought to the temple as an offering. This was done first before the main harvest would even begin. As a matter of fact, no grain was to be harvested at all until the firstfruits offering was brought to the Lord (Leviticus 23:14). God had to be first!

⁴³ But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?”

He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘THEY SHALL EAT AND HAVE SOME LEFT OVER.’ ⁴⁴ SO HE SET IT BEFORE THEM; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

The principle of firstfruits always leads to multiplication.

Mark 6:34-44

³⁴ And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with COMPASSION for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. ³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

I believe Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. He was setting up the stage for one of the greatest miracles.

• God always sets the stage for your breakthrough – His time, His place, His way.
• Here’s how Jesus answered them:

“YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” Jesus was not concerned how much it cost. Jesus was challenging them to think outside of the box.

• That’s how it is with a vision from God. It has to be impossible!
• It has to challenge your natural ability, your available resources.
• I would dare say, it is not impossible, then it’s probably not God.
• When God wants to bring about a breakthrough of any kind into your life. He factors in your capabilities, your resources, your talents.
• You’re not going to inform God of anything about you that He doesn’t already know.
• But here’s what He wants you do: Look to Him for the supernatural.

God will always challenge your thinking before you receive your breakthrough

Here’s what Jesus asked them: “How many loaves do you have?” Go and see!

• He is not asking here, because He does not know!
• Jesus knew exactly what they had in the natural. Just like He knows exactly what you have in the natural.

STATEMENT:  HE’S ASKING HERE, BECAUSE HE WANTS YOU INVOLVED IN THE MIRACLE. The Principle of Multiplication will always involve you. Why? Because you are part of God’s equation!

³⁹ Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. ⁴¹ And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, BLESSED and broke the loaves, AND GAVE THEM TO HIS DISCIPLES to set before them; ….. ⁴² So they all ate and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments (left over) … Over 20,000 people we fed that day with just 5 loaves and 2 fish

TRANSITION: Now we can just stop right here and celebrate the miracle. But there’s more to it!

If you don’t get anything out of this message, I want to at least catch these 2 points about the Principle of Multiplication: 1. Blessed in His hands 2. Multiplied in my hands.

POINT #1: BLESSED IN HIS HANDS

• What was the very first thing the disciples did with the 5 loaves and 2 fish? They brought it to Jesus first.
• What did Jesus do with the first portion? Did Jesus eat it? NO
• “He looked up to heaven, BLESSED and broke the loaves, AND GAVE THEMTO HIS DISCIPLES”
• He blessed it and then He gave it back to the disciples.
• Do you want to hear something sad? Many of us don’t bring our finances to God because we think He will eat it!
• Bringing it to God first is a matter of honor! It is a matter of putting God first!
• In the story here, the number of bread or fish had no bearing on the blessing. Jesus being first did!
• In real life, the person who brings in the most tithe does not receive a bigger blessing than the one who brings in a lesser amount. It’s Jesus first that matters!
• The blessing is simply because Jesus is held in a high place of honor- 1^st place!

POINT #2: MULTIPLIED IN MY HANDS

Where did the Multiplication miracle take place? In Jesus’ hands or the disciples’?

• The multiplication happened in the disciples’ hands!
• Jesus blessed the bread, broke it and handed it over to the disciples. As they gave it away it multiplied.

FINAL THOUGHT:

• When you take the firstfruit of your increase and you place it first in the Master’s hand. It is blessed!
• When the Master hands it back to you, it is not only blessed by it has the power to multiply.
• That’s the Principle of Firstfruits and Multiplication!

CONCLUSION:

• What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?