The Widow's Praiseworthy Gift

Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12 and we're just going to read verses 41 to 44 this morning. So, a short passage or a short message, right? Well, maybe maybe not. Okay.

We'll see. Mark chapter 12 verse 41. Verse 41. Jesus sat over. Let me go ahead and put up there.

Yeah. Jesus sat over against the treasury and behold and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury and many that were rich cast in much. And there was a certain poor widow. And she threw in two mites which make a farthing like a a penny and he called unto unto him his disciples and say it unto them, verily I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than all they which have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in of their abundance.

But she of her want or lack did cast in all that she had. Even all her living. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for our time today. For your gift of your son, Jesus Christ.

Lord, you gave your all for us. Lord, I pray if there be one here today that is yet to receive that gift that today would be their day of salvation. Lord, I pray that we who are your children, saved by your grace, would be willing to give our all to you. That we would be willing to trust you. With ourselves and all that we have.

And that we would yield ourselves to your spirit and to your guiding hand. And that Lord you might produce fruit in us. To the glory of our savior who has given us life. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.

The setting this passage that we just read. Jesus sat with his disciples across from the place in the temple courtyard where people gave to the temple treasuries. He told them something important which they otherwise would not have known or taken notice of. Here is a illustration of people bringing their alms. They're giving to the temple treasury.

It was a box that had a metal looked like a trumpet on the top of it and people would throw their money in the funnel and it would clinker and clatter and you know, go down inside the treasury box. And as they're going by, well-to-do people, Pharisees in particular, they would throw in a lot and it would make a lot of noise, clink, clatter, make sure it did when it went down. So, people would take notice and what people would not have taken notice was a little lady who dropped a couple little tiny coins worth just a manner of sense into the collection box there. Jesus singled out this widow lady who only gave two mites that which amounted to a cent maybe maybe maybe a dollar or something today. Maybe enough to buy a portion of a loaf of bread was about all that was but it was all of her living.

So, it was all that she had at the moment. Maybe all that she made in a week. Was very little. Jesus singled her out. He told his disciples it was all the money she possessed and how much of it did she give?

All of it. She gave all of it. Now, most would have scoffed at her small gift but not the savior who knew what a sacrifice she made in giving it. For while men pat themselves on the back, and seek to impress others by the abundance of their gift. God judges our faithfulness not based upon the abundance of our possession or even our gifts but on the degree of sacrifice and love.

By which they are they are given. As we see here. So, Jesus told them that she had given more than them all. Obviously, she hadn't given more in amount, in quantity, but in the eyes of God, the eyes that matter. She had given more.

Matthew chapter six verses one through four. Take heed that you do not your alms before men you're giving to be seen of them. Otherwise, you have no reward of your father which is in heaven. So, if we we give to be seen of other men to get the pat on the back, to look impressive to others, then, that's your reward. And that's all you get.

He goes on. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory of men. Now, it may be talking about actually sounding a horn most likely, the trumpet it's talking about is the one that's on top of the box, okay? That look like a trumpet that made a lot of noise when you threw a lot of change in it. Jesus said, that's what they do so they can be seen of what?

So, they can be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have the reward. When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That thine alms may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Now, which do you want?

Praise of men or the praise of God? The reward of man and the reward of God. Well, honestly, our flesh wants the reward of man. If you know the Lord, your spirit wants the reward of God and again, as we've been talking in Sunday school, we need to learn to walk and listen to the spirit. Now, listen, the defeated foe of the flesh.

And not let our left hand know what our our right hand do it. In second Chronicles sixteen nine, it says, I'll just read it to you. Did it go somewhere? There it is. I thought it was up there.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is what? Perfect toward him. The Lord is watching. Was the Lord watching that day? Yes, Jesus was watching.

Jesus knew about this widow. Other people didn't know nearly as much as he did though they could see that she was poor, I'm sure but Jesus knew that what she cast in was all she had and God knows. God knows. If we give just a pittance, if we give begrudgingly, if we give out of duty, if we give to impress others, or God knows if we give from our heart. Of what God has given to us.

God knows the condition of our heart. God does not overlook a gift out of sacrifice and love no matter how small he notices and he rewards his way. Beware. God is watching. He sees not only the quantity of your gift but he sees what?

He sees the motive. The heart behind it. He knows who gives out of a heart of love and he knows who gives selfishly for the praise of men. Back to first Samuel sixteen seven. For the Lord see it not as man see it.

For man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on what? The Lord looketh on the heart. We judge naturally based on what we see. We are impressed by those who seem to give much whether it's in money or something else. We're impressed tend to be impressed by wealth.

We tend to be impressed by eloquence. We tend to be impressed with with other outward things. But God sees past those things and God sees the heart and God judge makes his judgment based upon the heart of me and not merely upon the outward appearance. You can fool pretty much everybody but who? But God.

You will never fool him. Though you may have little to give, it is not the quantity that pleases God but the condition of the heart which gives. There are least four things I want to look at this morning in reference to giving and sort of kind of come out of this passage but are supported by others as well that I think would be helpful to us today and and help us to remind us and focus us on the privilege that we have to give of ourselves to the Lord. Number one, and that is this, God measures our faithfulness to him in respect of that we have and not in respect to that we have do not have. He doesn't reward us in comparison to others but to what he has provided us with, okay?

God doesn't expect you to give that which you do not have. God doesn't measure our giving in comparison to what others give or what others have. God judges us based upon what he has given to us and what he lays upon our hearts to give. First Corinthians 16 and verse two. Says, upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store as what?

As God hath prospered him. That there be no gatherings when I come. Now, under the Old Testament law, by law, the Jews were commanded to give exactly how much? 10% each year of their income to the Lord. When all their income was counted they were to give exactly 10%.

It was the law. It was collected. It was required. We're not under the law, we're under grace. Do I think you should still give 10%?

Yes or at least I think I should and more. But is it required by law? No, it is not. Praise God. We're not under law.

We're under what? We're under grace. But just notice the example there. They were to give how? Proportionally.

For somebody who say had earned a 100,000, 10% is what? 10,000. Right. For somebody who earned 10,000, 10% was 1,000. So we see the example that is set up of it being proportional, okay?

To what God had provided. And then in also second Corinthians eight twelve it says, for if there be a first a willing mind, we'll come back to that in a moment. It is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not. Man, God goes on to say in second Corinthians eight, the purpose of giving is not for you to give so much that you make yourself poor so that other people have to give to you. That's not the purpose.

The purpose is if God has given you great provision so that you have the ability to share with others who are in need, you can be a help to them and you can bring glory to who? And you can bring glory to God. There are some religions where people take a vow of what? Poverty and they pride themselves in being poor. Now, it's okay to be poor.

But God isn't impressed because you take a pile of poverty to be poor. That doesn't impress God. What impresses God is someone who comes to him by faith to receive of the riches of Jesus Christ who in and in turn is willing to give of themselves a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God. Which is our reasonable service. The Pharisees gave much out of their even greater abundance but she gave the entire amount that she currently possessed which she could have certainly justified spending on other things.

Would not have God understood if she had taken the pint and she had to buy another loaf of bread? She certainly could have justified keeping that money but she shows instead to give it. As your pastor, ministry is my life and apart from a couple hours a day during the school year holding a stop sign at my kid's school, I do not have another job which makes a lot of other demands upon my time. But that is not true of many of you. Some of you have full time jobs.

You work forty and fifty and sixty hours a week and yet, you make time to be in church once, twice, Sunday. Make it out on Wednesday night to be in prayer meeting or to to minister to to children. You come out to help in BBS. Some of you will be here every evening and you'll work during the day and you'll minister during the evening. Maybe you'll show up every night for revival.

That impresses me. You're the heroes to me Because you already have forty or fifty, sixty hours of your week that are already consumed with something else. And you take the time, precious time that you have left to spend in service to others and to the Lord. To work in ministry or to or to keep the facilities up. All of those things are important and so many hours and so much time and so much life has gone into this church through the years.

God does not overlook that. God does not overlook it. Secondly, not only did she give all that she had, not only was it about the amount but it was also about her willing heart. So, number two, I want us to see today that God sees the heart while others knew not this lady's heart, Jesus did and rewarded her accordingly. For God loves a what?

For God loves a cheerful giver. Back to second Corinthians eight twelve up on the screen. For there, for if there be first a what? For if there first be a willing mind. Again, we're not to give out of compulsion.

It isn't law that you give. First of all, God wants to have your heart and it needs to be done because you want to. You're not impressing God or others by giving if it is simply out of duty. First, there must be a willing mind. Second Corinthians nine seven, every man according as he purposeth in his what?

In his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth. A cheerful giver. God loveth a cheerful giver. As he purposeth in his heart or in her heart God works in the hearts of his children. He moves by his spirit.

To move us to service. To give of ourselves our time, our talents, and our provision. To the ministry and service and glory of the Lord. It is giving from the heart that God takes notice of. It is those that give because they want to.

Not those that give because they have to. That is remembered by our heavenly father. When we do not know, when we do not know, let our left hand know what our right hand do. When we give it freely. Whether it be our money in the offering plate or whether it be our time to to work at the church or hand out tracks or bus in kids.

That is what matters. Not to build ourselves up, to make ourselves feel good, or to impress others. But out of love. In first Corinthians 13, the first three verses, say something like this, you can have faith that you can move mountains, you can speak in the tongues of men, of angels, you can you can give all your all your money and all your possessions to the poor. But if you have not what?

Love, it is what? It is nothing. You have not love, it is nothing. Matter of fact, he says, it's like a tinkling symbol. Now, symbols are a musical instrument and they can be used along with other musical instruments to make a beautiful piece of music or they can be just a noise, clatter, clatter, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting.

That's what he's talking about. Without love, without the rest of the instruments, without the rest of the music, a tinkling symbol is just an aggravating, irritating noise in the ears of who? In the ears of God. There's some people that give their whole life but they don't give from a relationship with God. They don't give out of love.

They don't give to bring glory to God. They give to get. They give out of love Whether you, Jesus knows why you give, whether you give out of love or duty, whether it is cheerfully or begrudgingly, whether it's out of gratitude to God or to buy the approval and blessing of God or others, whether you're forgiving freely or keeping a tally. To make you feel more important. Oh, I gave this much.

Whether you tell anybody or not, maybe that makes you feel important. It makes you feel important and you're missing the purpose. You're letting your left hand know what your right hand doeth or right hand know which I can't I can't get mixed up which it is but Whether whether it is money or time or talent. He rewards us accordingly when we give from our what? We give from our heart.

Number three, the Bible speaks much in the Old Testament of giving the first fruits to God. In other words, giving God our first and our best. Does he not deserve both? Does he not deserve our first and our best? Exodus twenty three nineteen, the first of the first fruits of thy land, thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.

Leviticus two twelve, as for the oblation of the first fruits, you shall offer them unto the Lord but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor. Numbers 18 and verse 12, all the best of the oil, all the best of the wine, all of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. Now, I was confused for a while about this first fruits versus the tithe and thought that they were the same thing but actually, I've come to believe in scripture. These are two different offerings. The tithe was 10% of your entire increase.

Well, you didn't know what your entire increase was until you until you harvest it all, you reap it all, and then you knew the 10% that you had to give. There is this other free will offering, the amount of which is not specifically described, okay? But it is this offering of first fruits. When God asked the Israelites to bring the first of the harvest which was usually the what? The best of the harvest first to the Lord.

Why? Out of gratitude out of gratitude for the rest of the harvest out of recognition of the preeminence of God as the one who had given it. The one from whence it came and that the best should go to the one who what? Who provided for them. That's what the first fruits was.

As I was studying through the book of Joshua one time, it all of a sudden, God opened opened my eyes and something I I saw something I hadn't seen before. Ever been there when reading scripture? I hope so. I hope it happens often. If you read scripture, it will.

But the city of Jericho, when they crossed the Jordan River and they came into Canaan, God said, I have given you, given you the Israelites the what? The land. The cities, the spoil, everything that the Canaanites possessed in the land. God was going to run them out and give to who? And give to to Israel.

If they would trust him and and take it. And so they did. They conquered cities. God gave them the spoil of those cities. Those cities that were the Canaanites became their cities.

Except for what? Except for the city of Jericho. The first city they conquered on the other side of the Jordan River, God said, that city goes to who? That city is mine. God said, you're not allowed to take anything for your own personal use out of the city of Jericho.

Nothing was to be taken for personal use out of the city of Jericho. The gold and silver and precious stones and those type of things were to be taken and to the temple, to the Lord, and the rest of everything was to be burnt. The city was to be laid waste and no city was to be built in its place because that city, that first victory belong to who? God. Belong to God.

Because God was the one giving them the land and he deserved what? He deserved the first and he deserved the best. Everything else God said is yours but the first one is mine. Likewise, as it is fitting that God deserved their first and their best, isn't it fitting that God deserves our first and our best? The first of our our time, the best of our effort, before him?

I do believe he is deserving of that. That God shouldn't have to settle for the what? The leftovers, the seconds, should he? He is deserving of our best. The best part.

We will have to make do. With the rest. Which by the way is substantial. More substantial for some than others. That we will have to make do with the rest.

Others will have to make do with the rest but the first goes to who? The first should go to God. He is worthy. Let's say the president came to visit your house. Now, let's not get into whether you like Obama or whether you like Trump or whether you don't like either of them, alright?

But the president came to visit your house and and you were going to feed him, likely, out of respect, you would feed him your what? Your best. Chances are you wouldn't pull that fried chicken out of your refrigerator that you had bought from Popeyes or KFC three days ago that had already been warmed up twice and was more like chicken jerky. You ever had that? You ever had chicken jerky?

I have. Alright. That probably is not what you're going to feed him because even his position is worthy of respect even if he is not. Praise the Lord our our God in heaven is not only worthy of our respect because he is of his position but also because of his person, because of his love, because of his grace, because of his nature, because of his goodness to us. He is deserving of our best and not the leftovers.

You know, he gave his best for you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life but God commended or demonstrate his love toward us and that we while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God the father gave his only son. What more could you give? He gave his only son for you.

He suffered for you. Jesus died and gave himself up for you that you might have life. He suffered your humiliation. He suffered my punishment on the cross of Calvary. He took on my hell.

That I might enjoy his heaven. He gave all for us. Is it not fitting that we give the best? To him which brings us to point number four. Finally, we must learn to recognize that all of it belongs to who?

That all of it belongs to God. And we are merely stewards of his possessions. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Now, a steward is a type of servant who has been given something to oversee or to take care of. They do not own that possession.

They do not own that thing over which they are responsible. They take care of it for another. Sort of like an investor investing your money. It is not their money, it is whose money. It is your money that you turn responsibility of investing over to to them.

They are a steward of your possessions. But they're not theirs, are they? No, they're yours. Now, God has made us stewards. We're servants of Christ and he has given us a certain amount of time.

Certain amount of time to use in his service. Now, is it my time or is it his time? It's his time. He gave it. He made it.

He created it. He made me. Whatever time I have is his time. I am a steward not of my time but I'm a steward of his time. The talents that he gave me.

The abilities that he gave me. The gifts to his spirit that he has given us who know Christ as savior. They're not ours. They're whose. They're his.

They're his. All of it. All of them. His. He created us.

He gave us his spirit. He gave us these gifts. They belong to him. We've been entrusted to use them wisely as stewards. The provision that we're given.

It's his. He provides us the ability. He provides us the time. He provides us with the job. He provides.

He's the one who created the natural resources that are used. He's the one who created the the animals. The food. They all belong to him. We're just stewards of what really is his.

It is interesting that this dear lady gave all that she had. God does indeed deserve that. Really truly it is not, is it not all his? For it is his creation. Are we not his?

For we are? His creation? Very air we breathe. Is on loan from God. Men may not acknowledge God as their rightful master and Lord.

But he is. And we who have acknowledged him and is as Lord, need to put our money where our mouth is so to speak. Not just our money, but our time, our energy, our effort, our allegiance, This isn't a really a message about money. It's a message about you. God doesn't want your money.

God wants you. That's what he wants. And he deserves it. God does not expect us to give all that we have in an offering plate or to the needy around us as he states in second Corinthians eight, if you want to take time to read the entire chapter. But he does want us to place all of it under his what?

Under his authority and under his control. And make it available for his purpose. My vehicle is not my vehicle, it's his. My children are not just my children. They're his.

My home is not just my home. It's his. I can pick up people and bring em to church in my my vehicle. I can carry my family to where they need to go. In my vehicle.

I can drive it to church and minister. It would be a long walk here from my house. If I didn't have my vehicle. I thank God for my vehicle. I thank God for my house that can shelter my family.

I thank God for a home in which from time to time, we can have people in. We have a kitchen where my wife can can make food and provide for her family and sometimes for others. They're tools that God has placed in our hand to be used to bring glory to him. And help to those who are in need. It all belongs to him.

He deserves to have it all. Now, to those who know not the Lord, that may seem a strange doctrine. But if you know Christ, you know it isn't. You know how much he gave for us and what a reasonable service it is to give to yield ourselves. Our provision, our our time, our talents.

To him. This widow gave to God all she had. How about you? Or will God have to make do with the what? The leftovers.

The leftovers of our time when it's convenient, I'll go. The leftovers of our talent Well, maybe if the pastor twist my arm and you know, makes me feel guilty, I'll do it. I hope that we will take to heart what Paul said in Romans twelve one. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a what? A living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service and if you give of yourselves to the Lord, you yield yourselves to him more fully each day.

You will experience the joy of the Lord. As you see God take what he has given you and use it. To better your life, to bring glory to him, and to make a difference in the lives of lives of others. He gave his all for you. What have you given for him?

Conclude by asking two questions. The first is this, have you received his gift? You can you can come work at the church every day. You can give all your money in the offering plate. You can go out and help others.

You can take a vow of poverty. You can wear yourself to the bone. Burn the candle at both what? Both ends. But if you haven't received God's gift of his son, Jesus Christ.

If you haven't repented and trusted in Christ alone as your savior and Lord, then, all your dirt doing by burning both ends of the candle is burning up your candle. And then what's left? What I beg and what I plead today is this, if you're unsure if you have received God's gift of eternal life through faith in his son. If you're unsure, would you come see me after the service or would you walk an aisle today at the invitation hymn? Would you not put it off till tomorrow?

Would you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as savior? Would you give me a chance to show you from scripture how you can be saved and receive God's gift? The great, wonderful gift he gave you. And then second of all, Christian, It's our turn to give. It's our turn to give.

God has given us life. He gave his son. He's given us life that we may serve him. It's our turn. It's our turn to give.

Do we see life that way? Or do we see life about what we can get? Rather than what we can give. If so, then now might be a good time to talk to God about that too. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of your son and the example of this widow lady. Lord, I pray not that we may give more but that we may love more that we may surrender more to you. That we might give of our heart to let you change it guide it and empower us by your spirit to give of ourselves to you. That you might Bless our life in untold ways and that you might make of us say, a vessel fit for the master's use. To the glory of our God, and to the benefit of the world in which you have placed us.

For such a time as this. Lord, I pray if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior, that's has yet to receive the gift that you gave. Eternal life through Jesus Christ, your son. I pray Lord they would not hold back this morning but they come as we sing this hymn of invitation. In Jesus name, amen.