#13 - Christ LJoks At Your Giving - Mark 12:41-13 : 2 #14 - Not Far 1ut Not Saved - Mark 12:28-34 #15 - The Powt.~r of Sin - Mark 5:1-20

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TE)(T __ Mar __ k_12_:_4_1-_1_3_:2 ____________ _

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SCRIPTURE READIN----------------

DELIVERIES:

F.B.C. 11-6-94 S~ ~~ Be- 3-IC- 13

Hour AM

A.M.

Place

San Angelo, -TX

~~

STEW~DSHIP

/ .3 E.F- - ~ ---

CLASSIFICATION:

--EXPOSITORY --BIOGRAPHICAL - -TEXTUAL - - TOPICAL - - - DEVOTIONAL

Results and Comments:

(XXX+++) 4B, 2L;

BIBLIOGRAPHY ________________________________ _

------,--------------------~--,-----------~-------~;,. SUBJECT

TEXT ___ MAR_ K_ 1_2_:4J.~ -=1~3~:2 ----------'-----

TITLE CHRIST LOOKS AT YOUR GIVING __

SCRIPTURE READING'------------------"'-----

DELIVERIES:

First Bapt.C First Baptis First Baptist

Highland" Fairview FBC Crown Heights FBC Lonestar B.C. FBC

First Baptist

Coggin Ave. Bapt. Church

First Bapti t

" ,, BIBLIOGRAPHY

Date Hour

11/7/ 65 A. M.

11/6//6 10 27/ 8

10/26/69 A.M. 11/5/69 12/3/69 12/30/69 1/25/70 A.M. 10/22/70 10/25/70 10-24-71 a.m.

11-9-71 11-12-8 AM I I -I, - q 'I ,1-"1

Place

Ponca City, Okla . Ponca City, Okla .

Ponca City, Okla. Oklahoma City, Okla. Durant, Okla. Carnege; Okla. Woodward,Okla. Midwest City, Okla. Oklahoma City , Okla. Antlers, Okla. San Angelo, Texas

Brownwood, Texas San Angelo, TX

" ,, ..

/3 E.F-~'----=-----

CLASSIFICATION:

--EXPOSITORY --BIOGRAPHICAL ---TEXTUAL --TOPICAL ---DEVOTIONAL

Results and Comments:

XXX+++ 1 Letter; XXX+++ 2 Letter; XXX+++ 2 Letter; 1 Bapt; xxx+++ xxx+++ xxx+++ xxx++ xxx+++ l bapt. 2 let. l reded/ XXX++ XXX+++

XXX+++ l letter

XXX c<xx+-++) IB; ::iL;

4-6 ::2.J..'

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CHRIST LOOKS AT YOUR 'GIVING

Scripture : Mark 12:41-13:2 Pew.i,t/e ~ 77 lilir,p : FOR AN INDIVIDUAL DILIBERATELY TO PLANT HIMSELF AT A VANTAGE POINT IN A WORSHIP SERVICE WHERE HE CAN OBSERVE WHAT OTHERS GIVE IS BOTH IRREVERENT AND RUDE! IF THERE ANY ACT IN WORSHIP WHICH THE WORSHIPPER CONSIDERS TO BE PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL IT IS HIS ACT OF GIVING.

0 DED MINISTRY OF OUR SA VI OUR HE DARED TO INVADE THE PRIVACY OF GIVING. HE IN TIONALL LOCATED HIMSELF IN A PLACE WHERE HE COULD 0 13$1:R/E BOTH THE GIVER AND THE GIFT. HE OBSERVED THE HAUGHTY AND THE HUMBLE, THE LOFTY AND THE LOWLY, THE PROSPEROUS AND THE PAUPER--NONE COULD ESCAPE HIS EYES.

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE, OR WHAT YOU GIVE, NEITHER YOU NOR YOUR GIFT CAN ESCAPE HIS EYES, FOR HE IS VITALLY INTERESTED IN YOUR GIVING.

AS CHRIST LOOKS AT YOUR GIVING TODAY HIS RESPONSE IS REGISTERED IN THREE WAYS.

I. '.A CONCERN Y - -Markl2: 1-42 11/

: Vs. 4i "Jesus sat 11 ( f(d.-/}1.)w) This word indi­cates that X1 s act was boih deliberate & for a pur­pose. DELIBERATE: Mark ll:7 "And they brought the colt ••• & he sat upon him." --Deliberate , premeditated action. ----.. - ... - - - - . . . . . -

--Vs. 41 "how" /fWS i.e. How a :teacher teachesc , How a

ousewife keeps her house; How a emproye assum-es a new responsibility--say a great deal about his personal evaluation of it.

II.

(2)

c.

d.

e.

a.

& 11rot.ec-ti on")

Mal. 3:10)

The pers on who f'eels he is respon­si le to God for the remain"ng nine-tenths & acts accordingly, finds t hat it does go ' farther. -

b. Showi reciation to God for what

Boy tells girl he loves her but also seeks outwar d platerial W-9,ys of ex-pressing his love . !.J., T"a:Y - 1%/A .

c. Worshi i God iving allows a man t o worship God ,

not only with wi t 1ie ~ but also with what he HAS . • fl00,. ~mb of ~he flock • wi thcmt spot was not required because God needed the iamb , but to provi de the worshipper with anot her meaningful avenue of worsh ip.

COMMENT . th 1 ) - - Mark 12: 3-44 (vs. 43a 11 sa1 & "say"

: X calls His dis c i p 1es,as;ide & commerit s on the giving of the worshipers. He dared to cornnent on what others gave. • How offens, e - or ho~ embarrassing this would be to us.

1. Which Draw - -Mark 12 : 3 &

(1) (2)

(3)

( Picture each below passing by) Which may be marked by Pride. Which may be m~rked by Shame

Hope to heaven'"iioone knows what you give because... p/

Which may be marked by Reluctancf --II Cor. 9:7 "Every man according as he pur­

poseth in his heart, so let him give· ot grudgin~ly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheer ul giver. 11

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Over sgainst the treasury He sits who gave Himself for me. He sees the coppers that I give Who gave His life that I might live.

He sees the silver I withhold Who left for me His throne of gold, He sees the gold ! · clasp so tight, And I am debtor in His sight.

--Edith B. Gurley 2. aA~b~o~~~- .... ~~~..,...~,......_.. ......

--Vs. --Exeg. : 11beheld11 (-t9GWP~) from theoras = a spectator.

Is used of one who looks at a t~ing with interest & for the purpose of carefully observing the details Not,8)6.,;_,.e.v

--liark 15 :47 11And Mary Magdalene & Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid." Gazed intently & with interest.lH Jesus was studying more than the tob:vious oulward manner--~e was studying the inward

. __ secret motives .

The religion had become so surface that even the motive for giving had become external-­

..,.,.., ...... ,.:J > t.o be seen f ~n. "The sounding of the trumpet 11

= trumpet or horn - like funnel in the top of thee offering box. Whatever the metaphor is, the problem was the same-giving from the wrong motive . It is of reat ortance to X not onl what his

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2.

3,

--V_s.. •. 43 "This poor widow hath cast MORE in THAN ••• 11

"Comparisons are odious"--except when made byte Master. In His comparisons rich truths may be discovered.

( 1) Of the a:oili ty to give --Vs. 44 "abundance" = "exceeding means", "some­

thing above the ordinary", 11overflowing. 11

Mark 8:8 broken pieces of bread & fish after feeding the multitude -- "that remained over. 11

The widow was not ashamed because she could not give much (only 1/2¢)--she had given to the full extent of . ~:r;,__!hili ty.

; She gave out of he ~ efhlt(y ~- they, rom their abundance. N..QWiuaJJ;v:, they gave

much & she gave little; but aclually they gave little & she gave much, OOR they gave ~heir fragments & she gave her ALL.

Of tlie · left ~ the gift --Vs. 44.b (She had noUi'ing left after the gift)

• X does not draw a comparision of the amount of the gifts, but rather the amount left after the ·fts.

Their gi ts were LARGE -- her gifts was LIBERAL. "Liberality" is derived from the Latin liber = "free" It refers to the SPIRIT of the gift, & not to the amount. > Large givers may be illiberal, & liberal

_ giv~rs may not have much to give. That -which determines the liberality of the gift is the amount left after the gift. o~v , ~5- .l&.:~~ n......=.-... . " W,vf'o..e.....-...-....; . •

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43b & 44.b (a strong undertone of compassion) ere is bea ty in the greab gifts of thee

rich, if the heart is right -- the Kingdom of God most certainly needs them. M for e cheer ful gifts of the poor ~ hclB a p~culiar tenderness.

· When John n1116ked if X were Messiah, Jesus offered this proof (Matt. 11:5) "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, & the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR have the gospel preached to them."

i If this poor widow who had only 1/2¢ living11 , gave it totally to God, IDW

should we give one-tenth of our income and an offering beyond it? Many would feel a compiill.sion out of shame if they only knew what

J., .

people of lesser means give! "COMMENT" -- "What does He ·ffay ·about your

today?"

III. A CONTMST - -Nark 13:1- 2 (This was X•s final departure from the

temple ••• ) 1.

2.

--Vs. 13:1 These disciples were expressing admiration

for the place of worship, but said not one word about the beautiful act of worship to which X had called their attentimi:"

T~e ~ of worship is created by the be:a;st, --the pJ-ace of worship is created by the han.ds.

As X looks at your giving today, He is f ar more CONCERNED in your ACT of giving than in the beauty of the placE3Where your gift is ·made.

Some stones 20' long & 6/ thick- - yet will be cast down. What is X1s purpose in saying this? -- He is drawing a c.ontraist between the temporal & the eternal!

Xis saying "In time-- & not too far off this tempora_l b],dg. will be destroyed -- it cannot stahd forever. BUT if you would lay hold on that which is eternal, you must follow the example of the widow. The good her gift wil} do for herself & for others will abide forever. /

_.... . ..., .... 6: 9-20 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth & rust doth corrupt, & where thieves break through & steal -- THIS IS

11 TEMPORALI 11 But 1 selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, & where thieves do not break thru nor steal -- THIS IS "ETERNAL! 11

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WHAT HAVE ?

Your name may blazen in letters of gold, Or printed in dailies with letters so bold; But all you can claim at the end of the way Is What you have yielded and given away.

The world its pr£~d glory may urge you to share, And give you p r aises and honor so rare; But all you can claim at the end of the way s what you have yielded and given away.

--W. H. Sims

•

eward1 i

QYP, although they actually resent giving the money. Charles and joined a fast-growing church in t e su ur s of a city near the airbase where Charles was stationed.

The young church needed leadership. Although they had never done much in church before, they accepted responsibilities in the Training Union. They enjoyed it and began to grow as Christians. They were not sur­prised when the nominating committee came and asked Charles to be the Training Union director for the coming year. They were surprised when the committee asked about their stewardship. The committee ex­plained that they felt the leader of the organization which sought to develop people as Christian stewards ought himself to be a good steward. Charles agreed that he would begin tithing.

I seemed a good deci ion until the following Sunday morning when for the first time they placed a tenth of their week's income into their offering envelope. They felt trapped between conflicting emotions. They want­ed to give leadership in the Training Union, and they were willing to tithe if that is what had to be done to have a place of leadership. But they did not enjoy it. They resented it. They were stewards with an inade­quate motive.

Was the committee right in ex{lectjn:g Charles to tithe? Shou!d a different a~roach have been made?

e ive mone to the church because the · not to. This motive is often appare t in the testimonies that are given in connection with stewardship emphases. Here is an actual testimony:

One week we decided that we just didn't have enough money to give our tithe, so we gave only a small offering. On Tuesday of that week the battery in the car went dead, and the cost of replacing it was almost exactly the amount of money we had held back from our tithe. Yes, sir, the Lord always gets his money.

While this story undoubtedly causes some people to consider being better stewards, it makes God appear to be a religious Al Capone who offers "protection" for one-tenth of a person's income. This is not in keeping with the nature of God revealed by Jesus Christ. It is an unworth ' motive for giving. Aiillnillllle'!llmn,-'Wl••'C" from thi motive How did they arrive at ch a conclusion?

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~~~~~~~._..~~=~~c:!iru~·~..i~U~Y;t~,~:ro~c;r~I!i:.;t-Tirey juic::1pn::i L;,.,; l.,les:.iu~:. wl,i ... :1 CU..: pu:., .. -i.,c5 in },.fa{-a.:t.i 3: 1{) to be material blessings. 1s attitude often shows itself in testimonies when people tell of all the raises they have gotten since they began to tithe. The false impression which is left causes a real problem when there are financial reverses. For instance, Frank had twelve year's seniority in an electrical engineering firm, although he did not have a degree in engineering. He had a fine family. He was a teacher of adults in Sunday school. Suddenly he stopped coming to church, resigned his class, ceased tithing, and became very despondent. When his pa. tor was finally able to get him to tell him what was wrong, this is the story he told:

I've been a faithful tither for years, and now they have promoted a younger man with less experience over me. Tithing doesn't brin the bJes ing I thought i should, so I'm quitting.

To give to the church as an assurance of material well-being is wrong. · nal use of Malachi 3: 10 encourag d this m· n tanding? ow may it o come?

.-I Some Secondary Motives for Stewardship ,J7

'ftA - here are some reasons for stewardship which are logical and right - but which are not primary. Some give because in to do. When the child of God looks at the church and what it does, he wants to be a part of it. There are missions to su_pport, children to be taught, people to be won, and a hundred and one ministries to be performed. Most churches make this a major emphasis of their stewardship drive. While this is a noble sentiment, one's stewardship should never depend upon one's agreement with all that the church is doing. People wQQ._.fee) free to stop~ iving when they do not agree with how the budget is spent, betray_ a very secondary motive in their giving. f ~ h ./

ome v ant to do their art. Th are this way in other areas of their life, and they are this way in the church. A man will not ong · WJth a group of friends who never let him help with the ex­penses. It usually represents real growth when people realize that there is a gap between what they give and their fair share in the expenses of the church. Carl and Judy came to the pastor with a real problem. "Pas­tor," they said, "we stopped by this afternoon to see what would happen to our church if everyone gave as much as we do. We certainly were surprised. We ·scovered that the church would have to close down. What should we do?" While this is a happy discovery, it still is a secondary motive for giving.

#- (3

Winnfield 2009G, yeA,u Ai!J

Per Household (White) $34,123

$34,123 X 33 Sardis Households

$1,126,059 X 10%

$ 112,605 Tithe - 88,000 Offerings last year

24,605 Less than the tithe (7.8% of Household income)

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