What are you willing to put in?

Introduction

On a scale of 1-10 where do you feel like you are based on your giving to God? What you put into your relationship with him? (GO POPCORN)

I am notoriously bad when it comes to my relationship with Elaine at sharing responsibilities.

A prime example of that is with our wedding planning

Elaine found the venue

She found the photographer

and I’ll just show up next Tuesday and get married.

Often in our relationship I don’t put in past the point of discomfort.

If I have plenty of extra time I may help out some, like I helped put the music together for the wedding, but if I’m crunched and it isn’t convenient for me, I often won’t go all in on what we are doing.

The reason I roast myself and share that example is because I think we often do the exact same thing in our relationship with God.

That we will put in the work when it is convenient but as soon as it conflicts another aspect of our life we fail to go all in on serving.

Today we are going to read a story in scripture in which Jesus gives us a little truth to this topic, read with me

Body

Mark 12:38–44 CSB

38 He also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.” 41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

In this story Jesus shows us the error in the way of the scribes that I think we can often relate to on the surface level and if not there at the very least at the heart level. In the ancient times these scribes would have worn clean white robes that set them apart from the common people of the time. They did this in a move to try and appear holier than thou and often would oppress people they viewed as lesser in the eyes of God. They prayed loudly and lengthy prayers seeking attention and would reserve the front row of seats at the sanctuary, which was another move to make others see them as closer to God.

Boy were they wrong, Jesus calls them out in this story by pointing out there empty giving, see they may have given 10 times as much as the common people or 100 times as much as the lady we are about to talk about, but it was out of surplus, it was because they had it, not because they trusted God would be their sole provider.

now

Think about the state of womanhood during the time of Jesus, the woman he mentions here is a widow, and because of that in the ancient world would not have been able to provide for her family.

That’s the reality of the world at that time, but this is the beautiful picture that really makes me question at times my own commitment to Christ.

It makes me question my trust in God’s kind providence and that his will will be done.

Maybe your in the same boat as me and if you were in the same situation as this lady with barely enough money to keep food on the table, you may not choose to give up what you have like she did.

How do you think we are more similar to the selfish scribes in this story than to the lady?

So that brings me to my major question of what are you holding back? Maybe you will never grow up to be the leading tither in your church, but will you give in other ways?

but before we even dive into that, let’s break it down:

Why do we give to God?

Deuteronomy 26:1–11 CSB

1 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and live in it, 2 take some of the first of all the land’s produce that you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have his name dwell. 3 When you come before the priest who is serving at that time, say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have entered the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ 4 “Then the priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 You are to respond by saying in the presence of the Lord your God: My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt with a few people and resided there as an alien. There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, and forced us to do hard labor. 7 So we called out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our cry and saw our misery, hardship, and oppression. 8 Then the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying power, and with signs and wonders. 9 He led us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 I have now brought the first of the land’s produce that you, Lord, have given me. You will then place the container before the Lord your God and bow down to him. 11 You, the Levites, and the resident aliens among you will rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given you and your household.

verse 10 says it all here, we bring our first because we know that he has given us it. He has given you the ability to live in the greatest country on the planet

He has given you hands and feet to serve

He has given you a voice to provide hope

He has given or will eventually end up giving you a job to be able to financially give to him.

Ultimately, giving is done as a sign of faith, to say that these earthly monetary items aren’t what satisfies our souls, but instead the will and word of God satisfies our souls.

With that being said, there are several ways we can give to God beyond simply money.

Time

Service (even small stuff)

Sacrificing things that pull you away from him

I fall short in a ton of these categories. Maybe you do too, but God today isn’t calling you to give out of your surplus (when its convenient) like these scribes, but to put everything you have into it like this widow and trust that he’s going to work.

Application

What is an example from your own life of giving to God?

Stack a chair

Bring a friend to church and give them the chance to encounter Jesus

Prioritize Church and being involved in the local ministry

Be practical, don’t overcomplicate it, choose today to go all in on Jesus and you will be amazed at the way he begins to work through your life.