When God Saw My Offering

Luke 21:1-4

When God Saw My Offering

This morning I would like to speak to you with what the Bible says is a very important subject. As you know, last Sunday we spoke on the topic of giving unto the Lord.

If I were to ask you what would you rather hear this morning, a message on giving or a message on blessings. Which would you rather hear?

You don’t have to answer that, because I already know. But the message I am about to share with you is on both topics, it is on giving and blessings.

Now friend, I want you to know, you can never be fully blessed unless you know how to give. And that is when you give with a loving heart.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace about toward you; that ye, have all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

If you are hear today, and you want God to bless in your life, friend you have to learn how to give like God gives to us.

You will never be more satisfied in life, when you learn how to give unto Christ Jesus. Now last week, we said there are three things every Christian should be giving. Remember?

Every Christian should be giving of their “time, talents, and treasures”. Now you need to give to God from all three of these areas, not just one, but from all three.

Now it has become common place among many, to just give of one of these three, a person may say I don’t have time for God, but to make them feel better about themselves, they put a large amount of money in the offering box.

Another person may not give any money because they are untrusting in giving wealth, but might sing in the choir.

Friends, there are many today, that only give some, but they are making themselves out to be these righteous saints. When in the eyes of God, they aren’t really giving unto him.

Now that brings us to our passage today, and it is found in Luke 21, look what the scripture is saying.

(Read Scripture)

Now this unnamed woman has become synonymous with what it means to give unto the Lord. Now friend, this woman serves as an example to us, of how we are to give. Notice what we find in this passage.

And the first thing I would like to draw your attention too is…

The Offerings that were Given

· Now there were many people at the temple, and the temple served as a place for people to come and give their gifts to the Lord.

· And what we learn on this day, was there were two offerings made.

1. The Rich Men’s Offering

· Now just like today, during the days of Jesus, there were individuals who were financially well off. They were rich.

· They had vast amounts of wealth, perhaps they were the owners of businesses, or had invested and reaped great profits.

· However they came to posses their wealth, what we find is that scripture says that they are rich men.

· And they come to the treasury box there at the temple. Now you may not know but there were 13 boxes in the temple.

· And they were trumpet shaped. And each of these boxes were designated for a certain area of ministry.

· So, a person might want to contribute to a certain area, and they would place it in that particular offering.

· Well, here is the elite, the well-off in society, they come in with their nice clothes, their golden rings and bracelets, they may had rode up to the temple on their “sports donkey”

· And they come into the temple, and they give a offering. Now they gave, and that is good.

· But here is the problem with their offering, they gave but they could have gave more.

· They gave what appeared to be a generous offering, but in reality, they had kept back what really should have been given to God.

· Now don’t think that when times have changed that the rich changed. You see, this mentality hasn’t changed at all.

· And there are some who come, and you place an offering in the tithing box, and it appears to be a great offering, but you really didn’t give like you should.

· Do you realize, that people who are rich, often have a poor relationship with the Lord?

· Jesus was talking with his disciples and he made this statement in Matthew 19:24 “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

· Now friends to much of this world, we are the rich sitting here in this room.

· Now let me ask you, did you give like you should to the Lord?

2. The Poor Woman’s Offering

· Now there was another person who was there, and the scripture identifies her as a certain poor widow.

· She has no husband, her husband is dead. And women of those days didn’t have the freedoms that many women have today.

· It wasn’t easy for a woman to go out and make money like the man could. And so, when a woman became a widow, she was dependent on others to help her.

· She would have had to do the work of the man around the home, she would have had to do all the hard things that she would have been dependent on her husband to do.

· Well, here enters this certain poor woman. And I think the scripture calls her this for a reason.

· This wasn’t a widow who got a big life insurance check, this wasn’t a widow who was well off before her husbands death, this was a woman who likely was poor throughout her marriage.

· And she comes into the temple, and she brings in the money that she has. And it is two mites.

· Now two mites in our eyes isn’t a lot of money. In fact the value of two mites to us would equate to less than a penny.

· Here is a woman, she comes in and her offering was two mites that couldn’t buy really anything, and that is what she puts into the offering.

· Now someone might think was it even worth the effort, making the journey to the temple to put in such a small amount.

· Well, it was worth it to her. You know why? Because she loved the Lord.

· She knew it would be God that would look after her, when no one else would.

· In the Old Testament, there was a widow who was very much like this woman. She didn’t have any money, and the creditors were coming to take away her sons.

· The only thing she had was a pot of oil. When Elisha came, she gave that pot of oil to the Lord and you know what God did, he multiplied it.

· God moved on what she gave and that woman found freedom.

· Here in Luke, this woman comes, and she gives what she has, and friends she gave all that she had.

· Now maybe some of you can relate to this woman, you don’t have hardly any money. But still you give.

· I think of a little child, giving their change to the Lord. Why? Because you want to give to Jesus.

The Observation of the Gifts

· Now we have seen the offerings that were given but notice this second thing, and that is the observation of the gifts.

· Who is at the temple? Jesus. Friends, understand this. I don’t want to give to a church, charity, or organization unless Jesus is there.

· If Jesus is not welcomed, then that is a place that I don’t give.

· Well, Jesus is here in the temple and he is watching these people come and give their offerings.

· Now understand this, I don’t know what any of you give. The only gift I know about, is the gift that I make, but I don’t watch to see who puts into that box, I don’t know how much you give.

· But do you know how is watching? Jesus. Jesus is watching you, to see if you give. He is looking at how much you are giving as well.

· Do you know Jesus is interested in your money? Not that he needs your money. But because of what he said in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

· The reason why Jesus was looking at what these people were giving, is because he knew if they were really giving from their heart.

· He sees the rich coming and dropping in the big bills, he sees that. But he also saw this poor woman come and drop in all the money that she had.

· Don’t think that you can pull one over on the Lord. Don’t think you can lie to the Lord about what you are giving.

· There was husband and wife who thought they could do just that. Ananias and Saphira. Remember them? They got jealous over what another person gave to the church. So, they sold some land and gave some of the money to church, but they lied in what they gave, they were making it out that they had given all, but they had only given a portion. And what did God do? He struck them dead for their lie against the Holy Spirit.

· Friend, know this, God is watching what you give, and don’t think you can pull a fast one in what you give to Him.

The Opinion of God

· Now here is the final thing that we find in this passage, and that is the opinion of God.

· Jesus is there and he has observed the gifts that were given, and he makes a statement in verse 4.

· He knew that the rich only gave from their abundance, meaning there was no real sacrifice in their gifts, but then he saw the poor widow woman giving all the money that she had.

· And he says that she gave more than the others.

· God recognizes the faithfulness of this woman and he shares that with his disciples.

· Because this woman serves as an example to how we should give. Not to give some, not to give what we have extra, but to give with real sacrifice, with real meaning.

· I believe this woman gave because she truly had a desire to see God’s house cared for. To see God work in the land, church, and in her life.

· Friend is that how you are giving today? That is how God wants you to give. That you give because you want to see souls saved. To see the church cared for. To see your life blessed.

· You know, I wonder what is the Lord’s opinion on our gifts to him?

· I have told you in the past, how I have been bad at my gifts to others, particularly my wife. I can say, I have been like that with God as well.

· But when I became intentional with my gifts, I have seen the blessings of God in my life.

· How intentional are you with the Lord? Are you like this widow or are you like the rich in this passage?

· Let me remind you, He is looking at you today and watching what you are going to give to him.

· And that is the question. What are you going to give to him today? Some of you need to give of your time, some need to give of your talents, and others need to give of your treasure.

· If you want to be able to give today with a cheerful heart, friend you need Jesus first in your life. Come and allow him to help you learn how to give, by first giving yourself to him.