First Things First
The principle of first
Senior Pastor Karl Miller, Jr.
Part of Living My Blessed Life—What I'd give for real life change
March 1, 2020

It’s All about the Heart ► Did You Pass the Test? ► First Things First
Reveal the power of living by principle of the word of God

No, how blessed are those who hear God’s voice and make God’s message their way of life. —Luke 11:28 (VOICE)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” —Exodus 13:1-2 (NKJV)

The Principle of First

…that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. —Exodus 13:12-13 (NKJV)

1. The
Reveal Answer
must either be sacrificed or redeemed

  • The principle first requires distinguishing the lambs from the donkeys across life


  • The clean must be sacrificed for the unclean to be redeemed

    • My sin nature is the donkey in me
    • The first and best (clean) part, a lamb, can save my neck

    Jesus is
    Reveal Answer


  • God has established a relationship principle with me of giving firsts and bests in faith

    Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us. —Romans 5:8 (GW)


    It’s about putting God first! It’s about our heart!

    2. The
    Reveal Answer
    must be offered

  • This is a principle that recurs throughout scripture

    Glorify God with all your wealth, honoring him with your very best, with every increase that comes to you. Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings from an uncontainable source of inner joy! —Proverbs 3:9-10 (TPT)

    The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. —Exodus 23:19 (NKJV)

      • We can’t give what doesn’t belong to us! We can only bring it to God’s house
      • If it’s not mine, I’m either going to bring it (to where the owner says store) or steal it (away with me)

  • The principle in action (Cain and Abel)

    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. —Genesis 4:3-5 (NKJV)

    3 Things God Can’t Do

  • God can’t change - God is IMMUTABLE
  • God can’t think the way we think - God is OMNISCIENT

    “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. —Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)

  • God can’t be second – God is PREEMINENT
    He’s always first!

    • 3. The tithe must be
    Reveal Answer

    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. —Leviticus 27:30 (NKJV)

    The tithe is the first part of my increase that leaves my hand

    So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ —Exodus 13:14-15 (NKJV)

    Based on Robert Morris’s The Blessed Life

    (VOICE) Voice Tranlsation
    (NKJV) New King James Version
    (GW) GOD’S WORD Translation
    (TPT) The Passion Translation
    (NLT) New Living Translation