Sermon: Being Fully Committed to God

41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Illustration: Between Hen and Hog

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5211 Between Hen and Hog

Between Hen And Hog

A conversation is said to have taken place between a hen and a hog when they passed a church and observed the subject of the pastor’s sermon: “How Can We Help the Poor?” After a moment’s reflection, the hen said, “I know what we can do. We can give them a ham-and-egg breakfast!” The hog protested, saying, “The breakfast would be only a contribution for you, but for me it would mean total commitment.”

The Hen and Hog illustration comes to life.

When we consider , in a sense we can see the illustration of the “hen and hog” come to life. Here we have two types of people. Those gave “out of their abundance” and the widow that gave all she had.

How do we give to the Lord?

Christ said in :

English Standard Version Chapter 12

For they all contributed out of their abundance,

Translation:

A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark Mark 12:44

‘they gave money which they didn’t need.’

There is a deeper message than tithes and offering seen in

This sermon is not about tithing or offering, even though that is what was taking place in the temple. There is a deeper message of regarding how we give of ourselves fully to God.

Are you fully committed to the Lord? Or are you just giving God your leftovers?

Misconception Of Being Fully Committed

Many people look fully committed to God.

There are many that look the part. They go to church. Give their offering and tithes. They look as though they are fully committed to the Lord and because they do all of the least required things, they feel as though they are fully committed. And we as onlookers perceive that “Brother and Sister So-and-So”, or “Minister or Pastor So-and-So” are fully committed to the Lord.

Let’s consider a fig tree as an example: , .

Mark 11:12–13 ESV

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

Mark 11:12–13 ESV

Mark 11:15 ESV

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Similarities between the Church and the Fig tree.

There is similarity in this passage. The fig tree looked good from a far. It had green leaves which typically meant that figs were on it and ready to be eaten, but no fig was on the tree.

The temple was crowded with people and a lot of conversation was going on in the temple. People were at the right place, in the temple of God.

Like the fig tree, the temple was busy with works, but no fruit was present from the busy works.

We need to ask ourselves: Are we fully committed, or do we just look as though we are?

Everyone that say they are Christian, don’t reverence the God’s Christ as they should.

Matthew 7:21 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Luke 6:46 ESV

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Luke

Just because people attend a church service, doesn’t mean they are committed to God.

There is a unique difference between those that give out of their abundance and those that give abundantly from what they have.

Are we giving God only our spares? Or, are we giving God our best?

Your Good Works Alone Is Not Good Enough In Presence of God

God cannot be bought or tempted by your good works only.

Some people believe that they can give their way into God's presence. God cannot be bought or tempted based on how much abundance one has. Abundance does not raise one into a "more holier place" than those that have little.

People do dead works, even in the church.

Hebrews 6:1 ESV

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

What are “dead works”?

The Epistle to the Hebrews E. No Second Beginning Possible (6:1–8)

They are works which issue in death because they are evil; they belong to the way of death and not the way of life.

What does that really mean?

In other words, we can come to church Sunday after Sunday, bring our tithes and offering to the church, but if we lack compassion and love for our brothers and sisters, we are doing “dead works”.

1 John 3:14-

1 John 3:14–15 NIV

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

1 John 3:17 ESV

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Our selfishness and grudges must be removed.

If we are fully committed to God, our selfishness and the grudges that we have against another, must be released and replaced with “fruit of the spirit”.

A.W. Tozer said these words:

Tozer on the Holy Spirit: A 366-Day Devotional June 5: Me, Myself and I

True Christianity deals with the human problem of the self-life, with the basic matter of “me, myself and I.” The Spirit of God deals with it by an intolerant and final destruction, saying, “This selfish I cannot live if God is to be glorified in this human life.”

Our selfishness and grudges must be removed.

If we are fully committed to God, our selfishness and the grudges that we have against another, must be released and replaced with “fruit of the spirit”.

Are We Pleasing Ourself, or God?

The people of God pleasing themselves.

Amos 4:4–5 ESV

4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; 5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.

Selfishness and hypocrisy in motion is described in .

Be Concerned 2. Hypocrisy (Amos 4:4–5)

There was no confession of sin, no brokenness before the Lord, but only a religious event that made the participants feel good.

Today’s church can relate.

Be Concerned 2. Hypocrisy (Amos 4:4–5)

The application to today’s church is obvious. It’s very easy for us to join a large, happy religious crowd, enthusiastically sing rousing songs, and put money in the offering plate, and yet not be changed in our hearts.

People are busy trying to have a “feel good time” at church. There is nothing wrong with having a good time in a church that is packed full. But if the only reason for coming to church is for a “feel good time”, then we are in trouble.

To really know if we are pleasing God, we should ask ourselves two critical questions.

Do I know God better?

Is Jesus Christ being exemplified through me?

If the answer to either one of those questions is ‘No’, then I think it’s safe to say that we are the “cows of Bashan” according to .

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