Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ April 29, 2007
“Real Sacrifice”
The Cross Creek Adventure
Mark 12:41-44 & 2Co 9:6-11
National Day of Prayer – May 3rd
Commitment to… Clear Vision, Teamwork, Real Sacrifice
Sacrificial Giving…
1. Is Recorded by the Keeper of Accounts.
Mark 12:41-42 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 fraction of a penny.
 |
Jesus often preached & taught in and around the temple courts. |
|
Hanging on the walls in the court of the women were 13 trumpet shaped collection receptacles. |
|
Jesus was watching the Passover worshipers giving their freewill offerings and contributions. |
|
He was “deliberately observing”, discerning the motives of the people as they made their offerings. |
Jesus Watched… The Crowd, the Rich People, & the Poor Widow
|
The ordinary people made up the crowd, many materially rich people, Jesus also saw a poor widow. |
|
Jesus keenly noted the wealthy who gave large amounts of money toward the Lord’s Work… |
|
Jesus also watched the poor ("a conspicuously”) a poor widow woman… with no one to support her. |
|
The word "poor" (ptōchē) means pauper. She was not just poor, she was destitute, in deep poverty. |
|
While the rich “threw” in large amounts… the widow “put” in 2 small copper coins (smallest copper coin) |
|
Two “lepa” coins were worth 1/64 a day’s wage (one denarius) She was dirt poor. |
|
Every strata of society was there… Today, we are so blessed materially… |
|
Possessing so many modern conveniences… nice homes, vehicles, possessions of every kind. |
"Twenty years ago, there were 14 American billionaires on the Forbes 400. Today, the list includes 374 (known) billionaires. In 1985, the combined wealth of the Forbes 400 was $238 billion, adjusted for inflation. Today, the 400 richest people in America are together worth $1.13 trillion. That was the year when Bill Gates's estimated net worth hit $100 billion. So quickly had his fortune grown that over the previous 12 months, according to Forbes's calculations, Mr. Gates had made himself another $1 billion every eight days. NYT
|
The median household income of Americans has been stuck at around $44,000 for five years now… Here in Kingston Twp the average income per household is $52,997 (2000 figures) |
|
I often think how it was during the time Jesus walked the earth… no hot showers, microwave ovens, cold refrigerators, central heat/air, cozy bed at night, stores, restaurants, health care, awesome transportation & communication system, entertainment… YET we must be on guard… |
Caution: Hosea 13:6 When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.
|
All blessings/wealth comes from the Lord… satisfied… proud… forget the Lord who blessed in 1st place |
|
Money is like a magnet - drawing the heart away from the Lord… (Heart always follows the treasure) |
|
Jesus saw and recorded for eternity what everyone gave then and now… Real Sacrificial giving! |
|
Sacrificial giving is recorded by our heavenly CPA, who keeps perfect books! The Keeper of Accounts! |
Sacrificial Giving…
2. Involves Faith put into Action.
Mark 12:43-44 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, 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."
|
Jesus called His disciples & with perfect knowledge said “the widow gave more than all the others” |
|
The Keeper of Accounts saw… the rich gave out of their abundance… the widow out of her poverty |
|
The wealthy gave with little cost or sacrifice… the widow gave with great cost & Real Sacrifice. |
|
David said in 2 Samuel 24:24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. |
|
Is our Christianity cheap and easy? Are we always searching for the least pain & cost? |
|
It did not cost them nor hurt the rich. They still had plenty left, they gave only what they could spare. |
|
It hurts to sacrificially give… unable to buy something you want, skip a meal, not go on vacation… |
|
The widow demonstrated great faith by giving all she had trusting God to provide all her need (not want) |
|
Meet God someday? Spend eternity in heaven? Put your faith into action! Pay now or later! |
Matthew 6:19-21 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 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. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
|
Our hearts always follow our treasures… Sports… Entertainment… Career… Possessions… God… |
|
Sacrificial giving costs something. God expects sacrificial giving. The world is in desperate need of Christ… we must reach the world, we must give sacrificially like the widow woman… |
A man had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. He could receive little company and was not to be excited. While in the hospital a rich uncle died and left him a million dollars. His family wondered how to break the news to him with the least amount of excitement. It was decided to ask the preacher if he would go and break the news quietly to the man. The preacher went, and gradually led up to the question. The preacher asked the patient what he would do if he inherited a million dollars. He said, "I think I would give half of it to the church." The preacher dropped dead.
Let’s look at three principles concerning giving…
è The Principle of “Faith Promise” giving.
2 Corinthians 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
|
The Corinthian church was eager to give 9:2 and made a “faith promise” to financially give to help other believers in Jerusalem. |
|
Next Sunday we too will have an opportunity to give a faith promise if you desire to… |
|
A faith promise has no names recorded but a faith promise between you and the Lord. Trusting God to provide your faith promise… to finish the faith promise by the end of 2007… |
|
Even though I may not have any money today, I believe God is leading me to make a faith promise of $__________... next week taking a special offering / faith promise (building fund) |
è The Principle of “Sowing and Reaping”.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
· God loves a cheerful giver and you should give what you decided in your heart to give…
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I'd be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did."
· Sowing & reaping… You give in the right heart attitude, cheerfully as unto the Lord & WATCH!
You Always…
· Reap what you Sow. – Plant a kernel of corn you will get corn in the harvest!
· Reap more than you Sow. – Plant a kernel of corn you will get a whole ear!
· Reap later than you Sow. – Plant a kernel of corn and you have to patiently wait for harvest!
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."
· When you give as unto the Lord… it WILL be given back to you… Faith & Action & Blessing!
· The measure you use… it will be measured back to you… how big is your measure? TRUST
Yes, I tithe, and I would like to tell you how it all came about. I had to begin work as a small boy to help support my mother. My first wages amounted to $1.50 per week. The first week after I went to work, I took the $1.50 home to my mother and she held the money in her lap and explained to me that she would be happy if I would give a tenth of it to the Lord.
I did, and from that week until this day I have tithed every dollar God has entrusted to me. And I want to say, if I had not tithed the first dollar I made I would not have tithed the first million dollars I made. Tell your readers to train the children to tithe, and they will grow up to be faithful stewards of the Lord. —John P. Rockefeller, Sr.
è The Principle of Never “Out-Giving” the Lord.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 10 Now he(God) who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
· Carefully read 2Co chapters 8 & 9… You see the truth that God provides the seed in the first place
· He entrusts to each of us our finances… He will literally increase your store of seed when we give
· As we give more… God enlarges the harvest of your righteousness… lives changed for eternity!
· My friends – you can NEVER OUTGIVE GOD! Blessing will always come back to you!
I heard it said… The trouble is that too many people are spending money they haven't yet earned ~ for things they don't need ~ to impress people they don't like.
· The average church member contributes between 1.5% and 2.5% of his total income specifically to the Lord's work… you can never out give Him…
Malachi 3:8-12 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.
· God says to test Him in the area of financial giving (VERY hard thing to do)
· God will throw open the floodgates of heaven with blessings – finances, good health, stability, peace, family relations, good reputation, good relationship with people, less car repairs…
· Don’t rob God of HIS money… It’s all His in the first place… Test Him in this area of giving!
· I look around at various buildings (Gov’t, private, business… built at a tremendous expense)
· There’s over 180 families here at Cross Creek. Can you imagine giving collectively as a TEAM?
· Some here are windows who are pressed to give 2 mites… some here may be blessed with wealth… no matter who you are God calls every believer to be a sacrificial giver.
· Building project brings pressures in relation to the Gov’tmental regulations, building & finances
· I’m praying God will do a work of grace in our hearts… Vision of seeing what God is doing!
· Ask yourself… God, what part do you want me to play? How much should I give next Sunday?
· Some are able to invest $50, some $500, some $5,000, some maybe $50,000 or more…
"And when I get through with my sermon, I'll ask those of the congregation who want to contribute $1000 toward our building fund to stand… then I told Dan & the worship team to play appropriate music." They asked, "What appropriate music?" I said play the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' "
Sacrificial Giving…
3. Involves Remembering the Sacrifice of our Savior.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
· The Lord left the glories of heaven to come down to a sin filled earth to be crucified for sin.
· God’s grace, Jesus was RICH but became poor so we may become RICH… who can fathom?
· Sacrificial Giving involves remembering the sacrifice of our Savior!
· I don’t speak too often about finances… yet 20% of Christ’s teaching is about money…
· Where your treasure is THAT is where your heart is… heart follows the treasure… remember Savior
Why should I Invest in God’s Work? - An investment that pays eternal rewards
ü Furthers His Kingdom on Earth! (Mt 16:18) - Building is a tool to reach more and more people for Christ
ü Accomplishes His Divine Purposes! (Lu 16:9) – God’s purpose will stand… give willingly
ü Encourages Spiritual Growth! (Acts 20:5) – Giving is an act of obedience… you will grow
ü Builds up Treasures in Heaven! (Mt 6:19-20) – Giving now brings handsome rewards in eternity
ü Reminds us God owns it all! (1Chron 29:14) – Giving clears our perspective… It all belongs to Him anyway
ü Pays Awesome Eternal Dividends! (1Tim 6:17-19) – Giving is being recorded by the Keeper of Accounts
ü Secures God’s Abundant Blessings! (Prov 3:9-10) – Giving in faith secures blessings beyond comprehension
Be praying
Next Week ~ Celebration Sunday May 6th…
· Special Building Fund Offering ~ In Faith
· Ground Breaking Ceremony ~ 12:00 Noon
· Covered Dish Fellowship ~ Twin Pavilions
Weather Permitting
Let’s Pray