Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

WIDOW’S GIFT

by Pastor Kevin Badgley 11/25/01 P.M.

Luke 21:1-4 says, “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Two mites was worth about 1/4 of a penny.

Penury means “extreme poverty”, but it also means a lack of resources. That means it wasn’t going to get any better. She was not only poor, but there was no hope of her coming out of poverty. That day Jesus was in the temple watching the offering box. He wasn’t calculating how much people gave but how they gave, their motivation.

Nowadays when they have a Raise-A-Thon of whatever type, the bigger contributions produce more excitement. However, Jesus was more interested about HOW people cast in their money at the temple treasury. Jesus said where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The widow gave all she had!

She had to decide what she was going to give, if she was going to the temple at all. She put herself in the position of being totally reliant on the Lord. I wonder if she battled it in her mind all the way up to the point before she dropped it in. When she let it go, she was freer than anybody in that place except Jesus!

The widow woman’s financial situation was hopeless. Some of the rich people were hopeless, but in a different way. I’m talking about commitment, devotion, and dedication to the Lord.

The angels of heaven rejoice when one sinner repents. Sinners are spiritually bankrupt. When you are saved, and every source in your life is gone, you still have Jesus. The just, the Christian, shall live by faith. You don’t know what is going to happen next. You may not know where you next meal is coming from, but the most secure place you can be is in the hands of the Lord! We don’t commit our all to God sometimes until we are at the end of our rope.

The Apostles lived at the end of their rope. Sometimes they didn’t know if they were going to live until the next day. We want some sort of security, stability, and normalcy. The world is normal, but God’s power is supernatural. God’s people didn’t live normally after the Holy Ghost fell. People who came sick, left healed. Devil possessed people left every whit whole.

In Philippians 4:19 the Word promises, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He was talking about needs. However, we have made it our habit to search out the abundance. In other words we say, Let me get safe, and secure, and solid, Lord, and then I can talk to you, and then I can risk some things. Then they will cast into the treasury out of their abundance. Our goal should not be riches. Our focus should be the Lord.

Revelation 3:17 says, “. . . thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

Jesus also said in Mark 4:19, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” He is talking about what you have your security in. For some people, their spouse or their children is their security. For others it may be different things.

When the disciples were moving in the Lord, and obeying Him, they didn’t lack anything. It may look like it costs us everything, but when we put our life in the hands of the Lord, it becomes His problem, and you can praise the Lord.

Peter was a difficult Christian, but he gave his all when he got out of the boat in the middle of a storm. He got out of his security to go to Jesus. Folks, our focus from the time that we are born again to the time that we enter glory must be to go to Jesus. There is a difference between the people who get something from God, and people who don’t. The measure that you mete is measured back to you. If you sow a little, you reap a little. This woman gave her ALL.

The widow woman got Jesus’ attention. Jesus gathered the disciples to show them a lesson in giving, sacrifice, and faith in God for provision. When you sell out to Jesus, anything is possible to you. We need to say, Lord, what do you want me to do? It will stir heaven, shake hell, and God will meet you.

livinghope@hughes.net

Phone # 618-634-2541