Resolved to Give
Notes
Transcript
Resolved to Give
Resolved to Give
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
I can tell you how to double your money!
I can tell you how to double your money!
Anyone can do it!
If you have a dollar, I can tell you how to double it quickly.
If you have ten thousand dollars, I can tell you how to double it quickly.
Trade your dollars for pennies minted in 1981 or earlier.
You see, pennies from 1981 and older contain two to two and a half cents worth of copper.
For one cent you get a coin containing two cents worth of copper!
There is only one problem—the government has made it illegal to melt the pennies and to sell the copper.
I am keeping the old pennies that come my way in the hopes that one day we can melt them down and and I can double my money.
As you may have guessed today we are going to talk about giving—specifically we will consider the widow who gave two small copper coins in the offering.
As you may have guessed today we are going to talk about giving—specifically we will consider the widow who gave two small copper coins in the offering.
Comedian Bob Hope once said, “I was on a plane once, and suddenly it spiraled out of control and dove straight for the earth. Everyone on board was panicked. Someone yelled, “Let’s do something religious.” “So,” said Bob Hope, “I received an offering!”
It might surprise you to know that Jesus spoke more about money than He did heaven and hell combined.
It wasn’t uncomfortable for Jesus—He spoke more about money than He did heaven and hell combined.
Money stands as an important part of our lives and we need God’s wisdom and direction so we can manage the resources He gives us wisely.
So far this year we have seen the need to grow in our walk with God.
We have learned we can grow through silence and solitude, prayer, studying the Bible, and serving others.
Today we will see that giving brings spiritual growth to our lives.
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus finishes His public teaching by sharing the episode of the widow who gave a small offering ().
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,
39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
As we consider these Scriptures I want us to notice the difference between the wealthy and pretentious teachers of the law and the humble, sincere, and poor widow.
I hope for us to see that true disciples give themselves fully to Christ.
I hope for us to see that true disciples give themselves fully to Christ.
BODY
BODY
Jesus tells us to beware of those who put on a religious show.
Jesus tells us to beware of those who put on a religious show.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Here we find Jesus giving us the summation of the law God calls people to live by.
First, we are to love God supremely.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
In today’s text, Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the teachers of the law.
With all our heart.
With all our soul.
These teachers wore extravagant robes that called attention to themselves when they walked among the people.
They loved it when people noticed them, respected them, and bowed before them.
With all our mind.
When the people gathered in the synagogue the teachers of the law took the most noticeable and prominent seats.
With all our strength.
This is a tall command for us to keep—but it is critical we do so.
At feasts and banquets they longed to sit at the head table and be recognized by others.
They loved to stand in public, catch people’s attention, and make a show of their loud and lengthy prayers.
When they gave their offerings, they would often have servants go before them, sounding a trumpet, calling attention to the large amount of money they were giving.
They desired to be recognized as holy, important, and special people.
If we don’t live God, then all the religious and spiritual actions we take mean nothing!
Jesus understood that all their religious activity was just for show.
In Jesus exposed them
Second, we are to love others as ourself.
A couple of Scriptures come to mind as I think of loving others.
They wanted the respect and admiration of people, but their hearts were far from God.
Jesus said people who serve and give for show and to earn the attention of people have already received their rewards.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
These passages challenge us to fulfill Jesus words in .
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
These two commandments, Jesus said, are the greatest commandments.
Matt”
The remainder of the passage uses giving to demonstrate the difference between false and genuine disciples.
Jesus isn’t against prayer, fasting or giving.
He is against people with empty hearts making a show of religious activity.
Jesus gave his harshest criticism to people who put on a religious show but who were far from God in their hearts.
Let us be careful of two things:
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Let us not allow our service and giving to be just an empty exercise.
Let us serve from our heart.
Let us give from our heart.
Let us be sincere in all we do for the Lord.
Second, let us be careful that we are not deceived by those who make outward displays of serving Christ, but inwardly are dead.
Let us know those who lead us—know their content of their character.
Let us follow people who set a positive, sincere example, of faith for us.
Jesus says, “Look out for those that have a form of religion, that is, put on a religious show, but do not possess the power of God.”
Jesus calls us to sincere service and giving.
Jesus calls us to sincere service and giving.
In contrast to those who make a big show of their giving, Jesus calls our attention to a widow woman who put two small copper coins in the collection.
Those giving for show would stand away from the collection box, which had a funnel shaped like a trumpet on top of it to collect the money, toss their offering, and take joy from the people noticing the deep thud of the gold and silver hitting in the mouth of the collection box.
The widow’s offering of two small copper coins would not have garnered any attention with the small tinkling sound they made as she humbly placed them in the collection box.
Jesus noticed that the rich gave out of their abundance and had plenty left for themselves.
He noticed that the widow gave all she had—she would live by faith, trusting God to provide her needs.
Let’s be careful here to note that Jesus does not condemn the rich for being rich or praise the poor for being poor.
People can have money and possessions and be godly people—the Bible is filled with such:
Abraham.
Job.
Joseph of Arimathea who took Jesus down from the cross and put Jesus in new tomb.
These and others were rich, yet godly people.
People can be poor and be far from God, walking in evil ways and holding evil thoughts.
It is not money or the lack of money that Jesus condemns.
Jesus condemned those who made a show of their giving to receive the praise of people.
Jesus honored the widow who gave out of sincerity and faith.
This shows us that Jesus calls us to sincere service and giving.
Jesus calls us to love Him and to love others by serving and giving.
Jesus calls us to love Him and to love others by serving and giving.
The lesson Jesus gives us in these few verses in a lesson about generosity, but it is more than that.
The lesson exposes the danger of putting on a religious show while your heart is far from the Lord.
Every week, all across the world, people gather in churches were Christ is worshipped, but, sadly, many of them are just going through the motions and there heart is far from God.
The hold to a form of godliness, but they deny the power that comes from truly and sincerely following God ().
From our text I see important principles we need to take to heart, pay attention to, and remember.
First, we need to understand that life is not about us but about God.
This drives a stake in the heart of self-centeredness and selfishness.
We live in a “selfie” (do you know what a selfie is?) generation—a time when a person thinks that he or she and his or her wants is more important than anything else.
Cell phones base their sales pitch not on their ability to take calls, but on the quality of their cameras.
We have invented the “selfie-stick” allowing a person greater ability to take pictures of themselves.
Google reports that Android devices (note this doesn’t include iPhones or others) take 93 million selfies a day.
People aged 18-30 reported that every third photo they take is a selfie.
They report taking eight or more selfies a day.
This demonstrates the rise of self-centeredness and selfishness which is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In today’s Scripture reading the teachers of the law were all about themselves and Jesus said in v. 40 that they would be punished severely.
The widow was all about God—giving to God and trusting God to take care of her.
Let us be careful to remember that life is about God and not about us!
Doing so will take away a lot of stress and help us please God with our lives.
Second, we need to realize that God is watching.
In our text Jesus watches what the people put into the offering box.
He watched both the self-centered teachers of the law and the humble, faithful widow.
He watched for those who gave sincerely and for those who gave for show.
He watches our lives today! ().
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
He knows us better than we know ourselves.
He knows our actions.
He knows our thoughts.
He knows our motives.
He even watches when the offering is received.
He sees those who joyfully bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord.
He sees those who steal from Him by keeping His tithe and spending it in other ways.
God knows us and He sees us—our thoughts, actions, and motives.
“Underneath this story is the idea that God sees, God knows, and God will bring justice” (Samuel Stone).
Jesus came so that the injustice of this world would be replaced with His justice.
Third, this text tells me that God is the ultimate giver ().
Those who trust and live for Christ may suffer in the present, but they will be exalted and blessed.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Those who look prosperous and faithful on the outside but who are in reality white-washed tombs full of dead men’s bones will, may receive earthly rewards, but in eternity they will receive condemnation.
God gave His Son so we could receive eternal life.
King David once said ().
Humanity had fallen into a wicked, despicable mess of evil and sin.
Yet God loved us so much that He gave—He gave His Son.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
No one compelled Him, no one coerced Him, no one conned Him.
No one forced Him, no one tricked Him, no one deceived Him.
Giving His Son was His idea and He gave out of love.
Jesus Gave His life so we could receive eternal life.
The Bible says Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
The Scriptures say that Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
In Jesus says:
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus gave His life so we could receive life!
He was falsely accused and wrongly convicted.
His beard plucked His head crowned in thorns.
He was stripped of His clothing and beaten.
He carried His cross, stumbling under its weight.
He laid down on the cross—nails driven in hands and feet.
He gave His life so that we could find life.
The Bible us to give ourselves to Christ.
Give Him your fear and He will give you faith.
Give Him your defeats and He will give you victory.
Give Him your doubts and He will give you assurance.
Give Him your sin and He will give you His righteousness.
Give Him your life and He will give you abundant, eternal life!
Will you give yourself wholly and unreservedly to Christ today?
Our text points us to Jesus.
Jesus who gave His live that we might receive life eternal.
Jesus who offers salvation to all.
Jesus says whether you or rich or poor or somewhere in between, come to me, trust me, live for me.
Jesus, who gave His life for us calls us to give our lives to Him.
In giving all we are, all we have, and all we hope to be to Christ we find true spiritual growth.
Giving is one way we show sincere love for God.
As we grow in giving, we grow in God.
As we consider giving let us remember what Jesus said in ().
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The Bible calls us to give to Him sincerely.
The Bible calls us to give to Him sincerely.
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Jesus promises a great blessing to those who give sincerely.
Jesus promises a great blessing to those who give sincerely.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Giving your life to Christ is the best decision you could ever make.
Giving your life to Christ is the best decision you could ever make.
Life is about God and His will for us.
God is watching us and know our actions, thoughts, and motives.
Jesus will help us to learn to give wisely and cheerfully.