Sermon Tone Analysis

In Romans 12, Paul tells us that since we have been saved through God’s mercy, it is reasonable for us to give ourselves as a “living sacrifice” to God that we will prove to the world that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect.

The phrase, “living sacrifice”, means consecrated/committed to God.

Consecrate- to devote exclusively to a particular person or purpose.

God is our priority.

We sing a song that is based upon Rom. 12, “Take My Life, And Let It Be Consecrated”

Take my life and let it be, Consecrated, Lord to Thee; Take my hands and let them move, at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be, Swift and beautiful for Thee; Take my voice and let me sing, Always only, for my King.

Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I with-hold; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Consecration seemed easy until we get to that line in the song.

This is where most “Christians” have a problem in being consecrated to God, and Jesus knows this!

Text: Mark 12:41-44

1.

The Temple Treasury; 41-42

Jesus is now sitting [resting] in the Court of Women across from the temple treasury.

At the Temple treasury, there were 13 brass chests, lined up on a wall into which the worshipers cast their offerings.

These “chests” were called “trumpets” because they were shaped like trumpets.

As the metal coins were cast into these trumpets, they make a loud noise.

The more money that was cast in, the louder the sound.

Each chest had an inscription declaring what the money inside was to be used for [temple tax, freewill offering].

Considering the nature of these chests, it becomes obvious that those who wanted to put on a show could do so.

This was a practice that was rebuked by Jesus.

When the widow gave her 2 small coins, they sounded mighty small compared to the offerings of the rich.

Yet to the Lord, they made the noise of a consecrated offering!

The question is, “What was the difference , both gave?” It’s the how!

God is more concerned with “how” we give instead of what we give.

2. How People Give; 43-44

Jesus was so overwhelmed in what He saw He used it as a teaching moment for the disciples and for all who read the scriptures thereafter.

Jesus did not condemn the rich in their giving but he commended the widow in hers.

Jesus watches “how” we give- attitude, quality, degree of giving

The rich gave out of their abundance.

Attitude- if the rich gave so that men would “oooh and ahhh” when they heard their coins hit the box, they gave with a wrong attitude.

They were simply putting on a show for the people.

Jesus had already condemned that in Matt.

6:2.

Quality- the degree of value/excellence of something.

The value or excellence of what a person gives is more important than what we give.

We are to give God the best, the firstfruits of His blessings, not the leftovers.

Degree of Giving- the proportion of what we give regardless of income.

Everyone is expected to give the same amount percentage wise.

The tithe [10%] is a starting point not an ending point.

The tithe did not originate with the law but long before.

The widow gave out of her poverty.

Her Attitude- sacrifice.

She had two mites, 1/64th of a denarius, a days wages.

She was a poor widow, “destitute” for daily needs but she would sacrifice for the work of the Lord.

Her Quality- value of her gift, “all she had”.

She looked beyond the present world and hoped for her future in heaven.

Remember what Jesus had just said maybe an hour ago when He was questioned about the first commandment of all.

She gave all she had to God and the work of the ministry because of her quality/value of love.

She loved God, so she gave!

Degree of Giving- proportion, “her whole livelihood”.

In her situation, by law she had the right to hang onto one of those coins to survive.

But she gave her whole livelihood to the Lord.

She gave what she could not spare!

Her giving was a statement of her faith, she trusted God.

Warren Wiersbe captures it well: “The rich made a big production out of their giving, but Jesus rejected them and their gifts.

It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all she had.

For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was a true consecration of her whole life” (Wiersbe, Be Diligent, 120).

You see, it isn’t the dollar amount that makes the offering a blessing, it is the heart behind the gift.

It all comes down to attitude, quality and the degree of giving.

3. Testing of Our Faith;

Because money is a tool God gives us for use in living, money also becomes a test of our faith in our spiritual growth.

There is an old saying, “Show me a persons checkbook, and I’ll tell you what they love.”

Pastors John MacArthur and John Morgan give six purposes God has with money for our spiritual growth.

1. God wants to grow us spiritually by growing our faith

2. God wants to finance His earthly ministry through us for His glory and our good.

3. God wants to unite Christians who have needs with those who have surplus

4. God wants to reveal clearly His infinite power.

5. God wants to help give direction in our lives.

6. God wants to fulfill His promise to supply our needs.

Close;

There is a terrible disease in the church known as Cirrhosis of the Giver.

This disease prevents the afflicted person’s hand incapable of moving from the wallet to the offering plate.

The only known cure is to remove the sufferer from the Lord’s house where the condition seems able to cure itself.

It is seen in the fact that the sufferer is then more than willing and able to spend money at restaurants and in activities which he/she enjoys.This disease has made the sufferer consecrated to mammon instead of God.

If you have this disease this morning, there is a permanent cure.

It is called repentance and obedience to the Lord.

It is found in the last verse of the song “Take my Life, and Let It Be Consecrated”.

Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.

Jesus doesn’t play second fiddle to anyone or anything!

Will you “Consecrate” yourself wholly to Jesus today?