"Treasure Giving!"
" The 3 T’s - Time, Treasure, and Talent" series part 1 of 3
Text: Mark 12:41-44 & Selected
Cross Creek Community Church
Pastor Dave Martin - Feb. 4, 2001
www.crosscreekcc.org
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life Changing!
Mark 12:41-44 "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. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
* This was a free will offering for both the rich and the poor.
Review from last week’s message on HEAVEN: Two major things we will do throughout eternity:
1. We will WORSHIP our Lord! Rev. 22:9
2. We will SERVE our Lord! Rev. 22:3-5
To the believer, Heaven will be a continuation of our current worship and service to our Great God!
The Lord has given each of us 3 T’s to worship and serve Him today. They are...
TIME TREASURE TALENT
From a Biblical standpoint, it is so important to use each of these wisely.
Today we’re looking at our - TREASURE.
The reason we’re starting with our treasure is because of what is happening at Cross Creek! In a few weeks, Feb. 25th a special offering will be taken toward the down payment for our property. As a Church, we need to be praying about what the Lord would have each of us to do. I believe this is the first message on giving since we formed as a Church 11/2 years ago. As your Pastor I firmly believe to make known the need, then allow the Holy Spirit to direct the giving. I’m not here to plead or try to lay a guilt trip on anyone, but to share from the Word of God about this matter of giving.
The truth of giving back unto the Lord is found throughout scripture. In fact, 20% of everything Jesus taught was about money and the grace of giving! As we learn about giving and put it into practice, we begin to live like never before, it actually liberates us in a wonderful way. Giving sacrificially is the secret of a healthy life. It’s been said to "do your giving while you’re living" so you know where it’s going, because you can’t take it with you.
God will not merely judge us on the basis of what we gave but also on the basis of what we did with what we kept for ourselves.
I read about a preacher who was arranging the service who said, "And when I get through with my sermon, I’ll ask those of the congregation who want to contribute $1000 toward the mortgage on the church to stand. In the meantime you play appropriate music." The Organist asked: "What music do you want played?" The Preacher replied: "You play ’The Star-Spangled Banner’ "
How much should I give? What does the Bible say about tithing?
* In the Bible the Tithe is 10% - this is what you "owe" God.
Leviticus 27:30 " ’A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
* In the Bible, the offering is anything above and beyond the 10%, God has given you everything.
Genesis 28:22 (Jacob making a vow to God) "...and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Malachi 3:8-10 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. 9You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
1. Jesus saw the CIRCUMSTANCES behind their giving.
V 41 "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.
* What did Jesus see? The crowd. The wealthy, the pauper, destitute, in deep poverty - The Lord knows the welfare of every person.
* God saw the circumstances. She gave sacrificially - does it cost me something, or are we giving what we can spare like the rich people?
* Far too often, we wear a false-face when it comes to giving. We may hide behind having an abundance of money or we can hide behind having too little.
* What do you think the friends of the widow told her? You need it more than God, keep it.
* She gave out of a genuine love for her Lord - giving is an attitude of the heart.
* The heart follows the treasure.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
John Wesley said, "When I have any money, I get rid of it as quickly as possible, lest it find a way into my heart.
* God knows your circumstances, your burdens, heartaches, debts, responsibilities.
* It’s interesting that our Lord is the one most often neglected. He’s "out of sight, out of mind".
* So sad, He often gets 2nd place, in giving. I’ll pay all my bills, go where I want to go, eat out whenever, buy what I need - then if there is anything left, we say God, this is Yours!
* Jesus sees through our smoke screen excuses, our camouflage - He sees all the circumstances.
Pay God first, then all your other bills.
George Mueller said, "God judges what we give - by what we keep".
2. Jesus saw the CONTENT of the gift.
Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
* The content of the widow’s gift was two mites - the smallest denomination of currency in the Roman Empire. Greek "Lepton" or 1/64th of a day wage (denarius). Or 1/5 of today’s penny.
* Notice she gave two, all she had - everything.
* Our God is able to take a little and to multiply greatly. (See Mt. 14:13-21 Five loaves+2 fish fed 5000 men plus the women and children)
* It’s not about how much you give as it is about how much you have left
2 Cor. 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
* Notice the heart attitude, no reluctance but cheerfully. Not under any man made demands, which is legalism. It should be done freely and not chorused in any way. Prompted by the Holy Spirit.
* The Lord tells us to be very discreet in giving. Not boasting or letting anyone know.
Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
* When the Lord blesses us with finances we often forget that it was God Himself who has blessed us, not ourselves.
W. A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00." W. A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 156
* We can never out give the Lord.
1.) Jesus saw the circumstances behind their giving. 2.) Jesus sees the content of our giving.
3. Jesus does the CALCULATIONS, using heavens
standards.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
* Jesus says this woman gave more than all the rich people who were giving.
* Jesus does the calculations, He adds the interest and is keeping the totals.
V44 says the rich gave out of their abundance - it never cost them anything, dollar here, dollar there.
* God looks at what you have left over - that’s His calculations. That’s where the rewards will be.
* The gift that matters is the gift that costs the giver to give. Give sacrificially.
Robert N. Rodenmayer says, "There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, "I hate to," duty giving says, "I ought to," thanksgiving says, "I want to." The first comes from constraint, the second from a sense of obligation, the third from a full heart. Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since "the gift without the giver is bare." Something more happens in duty giving, but there is no song in it. Thanksgiving is an open gate into the love of God."
"Thanks-Giving"
Giving is an attitude of the heart. - 2Co. 9:7 "Each man should decide in his heart to give"
* If God has our heart, He also has our wallet. The Lord wants us to give from our heart.
* What you have after you give goes into God’s calculations.
**CAUTION** Money can be a downfall.
God blesses - become satisfied - become proud - forgets God
Hosea 13:6 When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. 1 Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Money is like manure:
If you spread it around, it does a world of good; but if you pile it up, it stinks to high heaven".
4. Jesus REWARDS our faithfulness in giving, now and throughout eternity.
Luke 6:38 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."
* We are responsible to use wisely the finances we have. It is a tremendous weight of responsibility, we will be held accountable.
* It’s been estimated 95% of the believers today, fails to tithe to the Lord.
* We need to endeavor to find ways to give back to the Lord or His blessings will stop and our lives will be impacted in a dramatic way - both presently and in eternity.
* The more money we have the greater the responsibility and the greater its hold is on us.
* Like any possession - the more we have, the more we desire and the less we want to let go of it.
* The grip of our fingers grow tighter and tighter. God can’t give us any more, our hands are closed.
* Money becomes an obsession - wanting more and more - always sucking in never giving out.
Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
* Excuses of can’t sell your stocks, my portfolio is untouchable - tell that one to the Lord someday!
* If you’re faithful with a little, God will give you more to manage, more to invest for eternity.
* Critical to remember - that God’s keeping track, it will come into play for all eternity. 1Co. 3:10-15
* Be involved in faithful stewardship as you give back to the Lord your tithes and offerings.
Jesus rewards, He blesses those who faithfully gives now and in eternity!
Charlie Page was a young man, broke, penniless and jobless. One day he stopped on the street to listen to a Salvation Army service. When the tambourine was passed around for the collection, he told the girl who held it out before him that he would like to give something but had nothing himself, even for his food. She gave him a dollar, saying, "Take this: put ten cents in the offering, and hereafter give a tenth of all you get to God. Keep this up all your life, and you’ll never be penniless again." He did so, got a job, and began giving his tenth regularly. By and by he became a millionaire, and gave much more than a tenth, building hospitals and helping in many ways to carry on the work of the Lord.
-A. Naismith
* You will never be disappointed in giving but blessed!
* You will never be able to "out give" God!
* Remember God calculates according to heaven standards. Take the plunge of faith. Trust Him!
Mal. 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
I read a true story about a young man 16 years old named William who left home to seek his fortune. All his possessions were tied in a bundle carried in his hand. He met an old canal-boat captain. William told him his father was too poor to keep him and the only trade he knew was soap and candle making. The old man then kneeled and prayed earnestly for the boy and advised: "Someone will soon be the leading soap-maker in New York. It can be you as well as someone else. Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap; give a full pound, and I’m certain you’ll be a prosperous and rich man."
He went Into the city, remembering the old captain’s words, and though poor and lonesome, he united with a church. The first dollar earned, he gave 10% to God. Ten cents of every dollar were sacred to the Lord. Having regular employment, he soon became a partner and later sole owner of the business. He made an honest soap, gave a full pound and instructed his bookkeeper to open an account with the Lord of 10% of all income. The business grew, so he gave 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and finally he gave all his income, 100%. This is the story of William Colgate, who has given millions to the Lord’s work throughout the world.
God says to test Him, He’s waiting for your act of obedient faith - we can never out give our Lord!
We worship and serve the Lord by being faithful with our TREASURES.
Lets Pray
Complete formatted copy of this message at www.crosscreekcc.org
