Sacrificial Giving

Introduction

Greet and endear

Char asked me to talk about serving today

Good topic - the church is growing

We need more people to serve

But rather than just putting out an announcement - let’s talk about the nature of our service first.

Pray

Point 1: Posture, Not Position

Mark 12:41–44 (ESV)

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Context:

Thirteen Shofar Chests in the temple - each for a specific offering. Shaped like a ram’s horn with the tapered end upwards to prevent theft.

A widow deposits “two lepta” literally 2 of the smallest coins in circulation

Jesus would have identified this woman as a widow by the state of her clothes etc. - this is not a wealthy woman.

Everything about this woman is described as “less” - especially in comparison to the wealthy.

And yet - she is the one that Jesus praises, why?

In today’s world we wouldn’t look twice at someone who gives so little to the kingdom. We might even call them stingy, uncommitted.

In purely financial terms her offering means nothing

But Jesus sees it differently - God sees things differently.

What is God looking at that we aren’t seeing?

I’m reminded of the beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This beatitude is talking about those who recognise they have nothing that they can offer God.

These are the types of people who belong in the kingdom

Even though this widow may not have a good financial position - it is her posture that Jesus sees.

It is a posture of willingness, a posture of humility.

She may not have much - and it may not be worth much. But she’s chosen to give it all.

She’s ALL IN

May this speak to those of us who feel like we have nothing to give

You may feel like you are inferior to the people who serve and are talented

But this is besides the point - God does not look so much at what you are giving, but He is definitely looking at how you are giving it.

There is no offering here that God would not accept if given with the right posture - no matter how you may feel it is.

May this speak to those of us who feel like we have a lot to give

Don’t allow your bountiful talents to overshadow fact that God is looking not just at what you give, but how you are giving too.

What attitude are you bringing?

When we give out of an abundance there is always the risk of pride entering our posture.

But wise to remember: To whom much is given, much is required. Every gift we have comes from God.

ILLUSTRATION: Congregation of one makes big decision

After his ordination in 1969, author and pastor Phillip Johnson received a call to serve one large church and ten smaller churches on the northern coast of Newfoundland, Canada. On the first day of his new circuit ministry, Johnson learned that in order to get to the smallest of the churches, he would have to travel 40 miles by snowmobile to a tiny village. When Johnson arrived, only one person had shown up for worship—a fisherman who had traveled about 20 miles to get there.

Johnson initially thought about just saying a prayer and calling it a day. But then he realized that together, he and the fisherman had already logged 60 miles of travel and had 60 more miles to return home. With that in mind, Johnson decided to conduct the whole service as if there were a few hundred worshipers. They did it all: the hymns, the readings, the prayers, the sermon, the Lord's Supper, and the benediction.

It was during the sermon that Johnson wondered why he had bothered. The fisherman never looked up. But when Johnson greeted the fisherman at the door and thanked him for coming, Johnson received a pleasant surprise. The fisherman said, "Reverend, I've been thinking about becoming a Christian for about 30-odd years. And today's the day!"

God looks at the posture of our hearts - not the position that we hold.

God can work through someone with a humble posture - someone who is willing to give whatever little they have with their best foot forward

The bible says that God opposes those who are proud - those with poor posture; no matter how much they may have to give.

Point 2: Not how much is given, but how much it costs

Why did Jesus say the widow had contributed the most when clearly others were giving more than her?

To Jesus - the value of a gift is not about what was given, but what it cost

The thing of importance is not how much is given, but the extent to which the gift is a sacrificial one

Notice: The rich gave what they could spare, but the poor widow spared nothing.

The rich gave from their surplus, the widow gave from her need (all she had to live on)

This is a potent lesson to us: What does your service cost you?

Because if our service to God costs us nothing, then it means what we are giving is worthless.

If your service to God costs you nothing then that is a reflection on how much your faith is worth to you

Guess what? Your service is MEANT to cost you something - that’s the point.

Meant to cost you: Time, Money, Energy, etc.

Some people say they don’t want to be in a church that asks them to do work - they want to relax. To those people, I would say - you’re definitely in the wrong church.

The entire point of giving is that it will cost you - service is no different.

We ascribe value to God based on what we give. The more it costs us - the more value we ascribe to God.

You know what’s beautiful about that principle? Just like the widow gave her all, so too did Jesus when He died on the cross for you. That should tell you something about what you’re worth to Him.

Let that revelation (that it cost Christ everything) convict you about what your faith costs you today.

Let’s take a good, long look at what we give to the Lord today. What does it cost you? Does it even cost you anything? What does that say about your faith?

ILLUSTRATION: Dad and I at church after mum’s death

My mum passed away in 2008 as many of you may know. And it was the day after she passed away that I learned one of the most potent lessons about sacrifice from my Dad. See, dad took me to church the day after we buried mum because he was rostered on for a particular ministry. We were told not to go, we were told to stay back but my dad insisted that church was that important. Dad didn’t even ask me, he just assumed that I knew that we were going to church - it was a Sunday morning like any other. That was one of the most memorable church services for me, we worshipped like we had never worshipped before - in fact I think the entire congregation just seeing my dad and I there took worship to a whole other level. It wasn’t easy being there, we were drained, still very much grieving - but it was a cost that we intentionally paid. And I’m so proud that of my dad for that - he showed me what it was to pay the cost. I’m so proud to be a part of that level of spiritual legacy. It showed me what our faith was worth. The work of the Lord doesn’t stop, no matter what happens. The worship of the Lord never stops, no matter what happens. Why? Because He is worthy. Because that’s how much he’s worth. What a lesson to learn. One that I will always carry with me.

When we pledge belief in Jesus Christ, there was always going to be a price to pay.

Enough talking about it - what about living it, when push comes to shove; what does your service to God cost you?

What is your service costing you?

Point 3: Every little thing counts

The last thing I want to point out from this passage is that every little thing counts.

At the end of the day - this story is about a woman who gave a miniscule amount of money - and how Jesus took note of it.

There is no gift, whether money, time or talent that is too insignificant to give - if it is given with the right posture.

A small gift that is genuinely given with a sincere attitude, holds more value in God’s eyes than a large gift that is given carelessly

I genuinely believe a divine transaction occurs when we give whatever little we have with a sincere heart

5 loaves, 2 fish - God takes and uses

Every single person here has something of value to give

Perhaps you feel like your gift is insignificant, you have nothing good to give

Remember - God looks at your posture - not your position

Church is not a spectator sport - everybody has a part to play

Everyone serves because everyone worships the same God who is worthy to be served

The church will always need people to serve because there is always going to be people to reach, people to love, people to help

here are some places we need people (JUST FOR YA):

YA leadership team (connect groups, logistics) - Char and Leila

Social Media - Sarah

Photography - Sarah

Service team (hospitality, welcome, set up) - Char, leila

Worship team (instruments and vocals) - Kay

Lyrics/Projection - DohNay

Sound - Nathan/Kay

We need people who are willing to be Brave, put their hands up - and say “whatever I can give, I will”

Because we have BIG THINGS TO DO

ILLUSTRATION: Sarah

Pediatrician David Cerqueira shares a story of how a dying girl showed his church the honor of serving God:

One Sunday my wife had prepared a lesson on being useful. She taught the children that everyone can be useful—that usefulness is serving God, and that doing so is worthy of honor. The kids quietly soaked up my wife's words, and as the lesson ended, there was a short moment of silence. [A little girl named] Sarah spoke up. "Teacher, what can I do? I don't know how do to many useful things."

Not anticipating that kind of response, my wife quickly looked around and spotted an empty flower vase on the windowsill. "Sarah, you can bring in a flower and put it in the vase. That would be a useful thing."

Sarah frowned. "But that's not important."

"It is," replied my wife, "if you are helping someone."

Sure enough, the next Sunday Sarah brought in a dandelion and placed it in the vase. In fact, she continued to do so each week. Without reminders or help, she made sure the vase was filled with a bright yellow flower, Sunday after Sunday. When my wife told our pastor about Sarah's faithfulness, he placed the vase upstairs in the main sanctuary next to the pulpit. That Sunday he gave a sermon on the honor of serving others, using Sarah's vase as an example. The congregation was touched by the message, and the week started on a good note. …

During that same week I got a call from Sarah's mother. She worried that Sarah seemed to have less energy than usual and that she didn't have an appetite. Offering her some reassurances, I made room in my schedule to see Sarah the following day. After Sarah had a battery of tests and days of examinations, I sat numbly in my office, Sarah's paperwork on my lap. The results were tragic. [She had leukemia.]

On the way home, I stopped to see Sarah's parents so that I could personally give them the sad news. Sarah's genetics and the leukemia that was attacking her small body were a horrible mix. Sitting at their kitchen table, I did my best to explain to Sarah's parents that nothing could be done to save her life. I don't think I have ever had a more difficult conversation than the one that night. …

Time pressed on. Sarah became confined to bed and to the visits that many people gave her. She lost her smile. She lost most of her weight. And then it came: another telephone call. Sarah's mother asked me to come see her. I dropped everything and ran to the house. There she was, a small bundle that barely moved. After a short examination, I knew that Sarah would soon be leaving this world. I urged her parents to spend as much time as possible with her.

That was a Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning church started as usual. The singing, the sermon—it all seemed meaningless when I thought of Sarah. I felt enveloped in sadness. At the end of the sermon, the pastor suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes wide, he stared at the back of the church with utter amazement. Everyone turned to see what he was looking at. It was Sarah! Her parents had brought her for one last visit. She was bundled in a blanket, a dandelion in one little hand.

She didn't sit in the back row. Instead she slowly walked to the front of the church where her vase still perched by the pulpit. She put her flower in the vase and a piece of paper beside it. Then she returned to her parents. Seeing little Sarah place her flower in the vase for the last time moved everyone. At the end of the service, people gathered around Sarah and her parents, trying to offer as much love and support as possible. I could hardly bear to watch.

Four days later, Sarah died. …

I wasn't expecting it, but our pastor asked to see me after the funeral. We stood at the cemetery near our cars as people walked past us. In a low voice he said, "Dave, I've got something you ought to see." He pulled out of his pocket the piece of paper that Sarah had left by the vase. Holding it out to me, he said, "You'd better keep this; it may help you in your line of work."

I opened the folded paper to read, in pink crayon, what Sarah had written:

Dear God,

This vase has been the biggest honor of my life.

Sarah

Sarah's note and her vase have helped me to understand. I now realize in a new way that life is an opportunity to serve God by serving people. And, as Sarah put it, that is the biggest honor of all.

David Livingstone once said, “If service to an earthly king is considered an honour, how can service to the King of kings be considered a sacrifice?”

Mature faith is one that does not see service as a chore, not even as an obligation. Mature faith sees the sacrifice and considers it a privilege - because it’s about Who we’re serving.

Altar Call

Put Char’s number on screen - tell people to get out their phones and open up a message. “I want to serve”. Whether they send it or not is the response.