When Giving Less Is More Part 1

It's always good news drops a few million days for a new hospital wing, but no one seems to notice a poor person giving a order someone else in the that is no one but Jesus was Peni watch the lady entering the temple courts. One day in Jerusalem church in Chicago. This is going to win with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line after Luther for some with small means giving can be really difficult.

So often I have visualized this scene that is described for us in the New Testament Jesus watch this widow give her mites in one of the things that we miss is the reason it was so precious to God is because she gave all she had. Now you and I can't give all that we have. We know that we have bills to pay and all the rest, but her heart reflected the heart of God. And you know I often say that ministry and money go together. Running to win.

During this month of August.

We are having a matching gift that is to say that this particular challenge means that whatever you give will be matched.

Would you consider helping us as we share the gospel. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let us open our Bibles and visualize in our mind this very instructive scene from the New Testament. So my friend today what is in your wallet.

What is in your wallet. There is a story about a man who was recovering from a heart attack and the doctor warned that the family that during his recovery. Above all else, he should not be told anything that would take and get excited because if that were to happen, he might just drop dead and be gone. But while he was recovering. The family discovered that a rich uncle died and left this man in million dollars.

They didn't want to tell them that because that might get him to excited. So they did a wise thing they asked their pastor and they said pastor. We wonder if you would go and break the news to him because after all pastors have so much wisdom in human relations. Why would they ask fast so the pastor thought about it and very wisely said to the man. He said you know, just as speaking theoretically, what would you do if you were to inherit $1 million in the massive why pastor.

He said if I were to inherit $1 million.

He said I promise. He said I did half of it to the church and just like that the pastor died of a heart attack.

Why is it that the subject of money is so sensitive for couple of reasons, some of which may be good. One thing is very clear in the Bible and that is that money is always presented as that which gives God most competition in our lives for our loyalty of our commitment and for our security because when you stop to think about it.

Money makes all of the same promises that God does and he says I will be with you during hard times.

I'll be with you when times are rough. I'll be with you when then Medicare works and when it doesn't all be there when you are sick and when you are well all be there to feed you to close the two to give you an inheritance so that you can have a wonderful retirement money makes all of those same promises that God does. And because of that it competes with our loyalties is perhaps nothing else. Money represents the energy of our lives compressed, it reveals our hearts, by nature, we don't like to be probed when it comes to money we've all been to the doctor and at times a doctor will set you down and begin to poke around what he's trying to do is to find where there is some pain and in the very same way. Sometimes God pokes around in our life and the subject of money does it. Perhaps that's why Jesus told one half of his parables. Nearly 1/2 all had to do with honey because of the sensitivity of it.

Pastor was telling his congregation now were going to take an offering, I want you to give until it hurts. Nobody whispered to his friend. I have a very very low threshold for pain. Why is it so sensitive. Of course, many people are going through times of difficulty regarding money during this economy. One of the leaders of our TMC community and TMC stands for the Moody Church, one of our communities. He asked the people to write down how the present economic situation impacts them and he shared with us at the executive committee. Some of the findings.

Very interesting.

Somebody said there is nothing in my wallet and I have bills to pay somebody else that I been looking for work for six months and have not been able to find any and don't know where to turn and then I'm interested in this remark I think it was given by a woman.

She said I run to panic and I forget God's faithfulness. She said I know that God is faithful, but I run to panic and forget his faithfulness.

The purpose of this message is not only for us to understand how Jesus viewed the giving though this series of messages investing for eternity is that it's also intended to bring comfort and hope to those of you are struggling financially. It is designed to increase your faith. I want you to leave here today, with hearts that are filled with praise, no matter what the future hold so in the end we trust that under the leadership of the spirit that will be accomplished. The story is a very interesting one is found in the 12th chapter the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark chapter 12, page 849.

If you have a Bible that you can pick up their in the rack in front of you. Page 849.

It is Mark chapter 12 and it is this story that is embedded in the Scriptures during the last days of Jesus before the trial pulled entry and his death on the cross, Jesus is in Jerusalem and in Mark chapter 12 I'm picking it up at verse 41 and he sat down opposite the treasury and watch the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums in a poor widow came and put into small copper coins which make up any 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 while what I want us to do in the next few moments is to take three portraits of Jesus three portraits of Jesus I want you to use your imagination.

Send visualized Jesus there at the treasury in order to help you to do that. Keep in mind that in the temple area in one of the courts.

There were a number of offering boxes. They didn't have offering envelopes like we do, where you put on you know where you prefer to give. They had various options there in the temple area, but these offering boxes where built like a trumpet that they were receptacles where you could throw in your money and then you would hear it as it is saying no longer single, long if I can put it that way and then landed in the box. These offering boxes or particularly the receptacles which looked like corn.

They were sometimes referred to as trumpets.

When Jesus said in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew when he says when you give your alms do not blow a trumpet before you, as the heathen and the scribes and the Pharisees. I used to read that as a child and I thought you know they get they got up and they actually blow the trumpet. That's not what is referred to these offering boxes. These receptacles were referred to as trumpets and what the rich would do what they would do is to take their offering and put it into the smallest denominations possible so that they had lots of coins, and they would do one of two things.

Either they would stand there putting in one coin at a time taking their time so that the people behind them had to wait so he almost got the impression it was like standing in a post office when the person ahead of you is trying to mail a package to dart for, and you could become impatient, but the people behind them would say oh they are really spiritual look at how much they are giving. That's one thing they did. The other thing was the opposite. They would take all of these small coins, and they would throw them into this receptacle all at once, and these people were actually referred to as singers, because you would hear this clang as their offering went through the receptacle through the horn into the box and that was cold blowing your trumpet so when Jesus said don't blow your trumpet when he was saying is don't be like the self-righteous Pharisees who love to give. When people see them in and make sure that others see them get don't be that way first portrait of Jesus where he sat. He sat over against the treasury. Verse 41 and watch the people putting money into the offering box.

He sat there purposefully to watch what was going on. He wanted to see what was happening.

Now they didn't recognize him. I'm sure he was just simply walking along and he sat down and as far as the people knew he was simply tired, but he was watching what was happening as the people were bringing their gifts into the treasury.

You say will does Jesus do that all the time does he watch the answer of course is yes. Now, of course, when we think of the fact that we have a watching God. Jesus in heaven. Today, exalted above all principalities above all powers watching us in template day by day, moment by moment not only what we give. But what were thinking and why we given doing that evaluation that can be scary, but it can also be very comforting. Some of you lost your job.

Some of you don't know where your next dollar is going to come in and you don't know how you're going to pay your bills and I say to you today that your father in heaven is watching and he knows he knows Jesus said a sparrow doesn't fall to the ground, but that that sparrow is watched by my heavenly father and is seen falling the ground and then Jesus said, are you not much more value than they in the answer is, of course, there is no way to compare it, of course, if he watches the sparrow fall.

Of course, he knows your needs dear widow dear single person dear couple and you don't know where to go because you received a pink slip.

This past week does not, your heavenly father know and the answer is yes, of course, he knows like Ethel Waters used to sing at the Billy Graham Crusades way back in the 50s and perhaps the 60s. His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me. Of course he's watching and he saw this morning as the offering baskets were passed at the Moody Church and all the other churches in the world he saw he watched, he saw you let it go by. So what you put in you wish you would've put in what you could've put in but didn't. I mean, he sees all that every once in a while you meet a Christian who says something like this. Whatever I give is my business and nobody else's is why I'm here to inform you that Jesus also makes it his business.

He sets over against the treasury and watches what we put in and what we keep to ourselves.

While that's where Jesus sat well, let's take another portrait we see Jesus sitting over against the treasury watching this happen, but the second portrait is Jesus. What he saw and for this, again, we turn to the Scriptures. Verse 41. Many people put in large sums and a poor widow came and put into small copper coins which make up any that's what he saw. Now let's talk about these rich people first of all, let us be grateful that they put in much. Let us be grateful that they put in much actually I have to tell you that the temple could not of operated on two mites. It had to operate on larger gifts over glad that they gave them and we should not denigrate people who give large gifts. As I said last time we should thank God for wealthy people who can give us gifts that can enhance ministries and help us with world evangelization. So many of the people they put in large sums Jesus not only sell what they put in, but Esau also how they earn money. This is critical because if you take your Bible and have an open as it should be. You'll notice in verse 38 just had your eyes go up to the preceding paragraph, Jesus said, beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at Theiss who Doug Bauer widow's houses, and for a pretense make long prayers, they will receive the greater condemnation. Jesus hated pretense and worship peaches hated it. Love the people. Maybe Betty hated the way in which they pretended to be more spiritual than they were walking around with large Robeson expecting to be honored.

Jesus is constantly looking at the heart and he hates pride. In fact, the Bible says God is at war with the proud. I don't want to be fighting God. But what does it mean to Bauer widow's houses were not exactly sure their different views.

But one thing is sure, it was a form of extortion.

Maybe when they hit widow sold her house.

They got a cut on it or they got some money on it. Are they gave her advice or they made stipulations were widows that were that were unfair in one way or another they exploited widows and that in the Bible is a huge sin huge because God in the Old Testament and the new Tellson's to take care of widows and if we don't we will give an account. So anyway Jesus sees these rich people he knows where they got their money from.

Perhaps by exploiting the poor and they are throwing in large sums that we commend them for that.

We don't know whether or not they were standing there as zingers trying to draw attention to themselves, but we can fill in the blanks and think probably they did.

But now the eyes of Jesus have a different focus, and that is on this widow and when I mentioned the word widow I want to include in it, all the single mothers who are listening. My heart goes out to you. I think for example of the fact that you cannot have an adult conversation when you're at home with children.

Every single decision is yours. Everything is up to you. I try to imagine that I'm not sure that I can so my heart goes out to you today and we include you in the story of this nameless widow that is mentioned here in the Bible. A poor widow came and put into small copper coins. It's not just that she was poor she was dirt poor and some of you understand that expression maybe even by experience dirt poor to copper coins. We read the commentaries as they try to figure out how much this was you get differences of opinion because it says the two of them made a farthing and then it took a whole bunch of hard things to make it in areas and on and on it goes. But the best that I can find out is that it would be generously speaking one half, one half of our penny so you could say that she gave a penny because she gave to coins and usually it is translated mites. By the way, you know we always talk about the widows might give her credit okay. She gave to RA.

Let's get that straight so she gave about penny by the way I read years ago that the copper in a penny is actually worth less than the penny. I don't know I don't I don't know I shouldn't said that because at an alert to go with that.

I'm just simply saying hello, penny for your thoughts.

She gives a penny so second help with the salaries in the temple with the penny are they going to be able to reconstruct and rebuild and refurbish the building when it needs it now. You don't do anything like that and she gives both of them all.

She had. I don't know how you react to the story but I've never preached on this before and I've always had something within me that made me uncomfortable with the story because if she had come to me and said pastor Luther I have 22 mites and I'd like to give them to the church. I'd like to help your CLC over there out of sin, dear lady, you need those more than we do will find other ways to fund our building campaign or other ways to send missionaries but you needed out of counsel. There out of doing that's that's just being beriberi on the matter fact there's a true story that really illustrates what I mean. In a small church where they had that giving challenge the people came forward to give their gifts the people notice that there was a young woman shabbily dressed as she almost was every Sunday with a little boy standing beside her and she came forward and pushing back tears.

She took the ring from her finger and put it into the offering plate. A deacon sought later on when the money was counted. He went to her and said hey you shouldn't have done this. Take this you need. This will get along with. She said you have no right to give it back to me because I didn't give it to you. I gave it to the Lord all that I can tell you about the story is that love does foolish things. Love sometimes sacrifices love takes risks. It's amazing what people do when they love.

I mean I'm amazed is apparent. I never had a son but I do have three sons in law but I'm amazed is apparent that the father God would be willing to send Jesus to die on the cross and go through all kinds of you and Costa says and are renting this death on the cross when he didn't need to. It was not for him. It was for us and I look at that and I say, you know. Love does sometimes do about ranges of ranges thing and I think for this widow, giving two mites was outrageous, but never underestimate what love might so that's what Jesus saw will, there's 1/3 picture I want us to take of Jesus where he sat what he saw and also now what he said look at the text and he called his disciples.

Verse 43 to him and said to them is very interesting is what Jesus is saying is what I saw is so important I want to share with my disciples because there's a lesson here and you know how you interpret that I interpreted that Jesus is saying that there is a lesson here also for us and for the church for as long as the church endures. There is a lesson to be learned from this nameless widow will my friend, this is pastor Luther, you're certainly going to have to listen to running to win next time as we find out what that lesson is thank you so much for joining us today. Let me speak to you very briefly from my heart you know that were living at a time of fear, pandemics, recession, unemployment. But isn't it wonderful that the word of God is not bound, it cannot be quarantined and we're discovering that as a result of all of this radio oftentimes is the best way to get into people's homes.

Thank you so much for helping us and we are actually in the midst of a matching gift campaign. What that means is that some of our friends have said, we are willing to match what people give dollar for dollar up to $90,000 would you become a part of it in your gift can double pray about it and see how the Lord leads you here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. Remember that radio is a gift.

It goes behind closed doors. It goes behind closed countries and as a result of this ministry, we are able to share the gospel with thousands upon thousands. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life never feel manipulated when a preacher says God is watching as the offering plate goes by. Jesus was in the temple courtyard, watching the rich make sure the crowds saw them give as were learning.

He peered intently for widow dropped her last two mites in the treasury next time more on why are giving happens under the watchful gaze of God whose commendation we should see.

Thanks for listening. This is Dave Alister running to win is answered by the church