The Rich Widow (Luke 21:1-6, Jeff Kliewer)

Prayer for Protection and Opening Concerns

Just father. Thank you for bringing Ryan back safely from India and for providing this opportunity for him to work there. Thank you for the amazing things that are happening here on this mission field called Mount Laurel Lord in the festival That's happening next week.

We pray for many souls to be saved. Thank you Lord for just the evidence of your hand of grace upon this church your faithfulness great is your faithfulness Lord. We praise you and father we trust you right now as this storm called Irma is hitting Florida.

We trust your great faithfulness that you will protect and that your plan is sovereign and that you are trustworthy. So we pray for those who are in the path of Irma that you would protect their lives.

Keep their eyes set on you and their hearts kept still even as a storm around them swirls. We pray that you would speak peace be still to the hearts of the people underneath it in Jesus name. Amen, amen this storm Irma is Bearing down on Tampa right now and we zoomed in on what Noah has Provided as a path for it and the closer we zoomed in the more it looked like it was a direct line with my family.

With my parents and my older brother who are in town. In fact so much so that the path itself goes right over their neighborhood. So right now they're hunkered down. Just riding out the storm. But if you notice anybody get a chance to read my book last week.

There's a few people that got it. There are copies in the back and before you leave if you haven't gotten one yet one per family. Please grab those books, but I wanted to point out that the first paragraph of the book talks about my parents house.

And it talks about it getting hit by a storm. In that paragraph I say that when I was sitting there in a major Thunderstorm was coming in and I knew that this was a strong house that could withstand it and the image came into my mind of how secular humanism is Sweeping over America, but if the church can be built the right way and be strong we can resist any storm.

In the same way my parents physical house is probably gonna stand up to Irma. But even more so how many of you know that our God is the shelter for his people. He is the righteous rock and we run into him and we are safe.

So we put our trust in a rock who is strong and Can withstand the storm so I would ask you to keep praying for my parents for my older brother and his kids his wife. They've also taken a few other families into their house and they're just gonna ride it out.

So we asked that that God would pray that God would keep them safe in that. This morning I was well this last week as I was preparing for this sermon I was looking through Luke 21 and I saw that the first six verses are about money.

My first impulse when seeing that was to say well, this is not good. Why are we gonna talk about money at kickoff Sunday? You know, there are two extremes that I think happen in the Christian world. One is called of course the prosperity gospel.

Prosperity theology loves to talk about money. They say that the more you give the seed that you sow will come back to you in more money. So give to the church so a seed to the church and God will bless you with more money.

That's prosperity theology. There's error in that direction a lot of it, but in the other direction, you'll often find what are called monastics. Monastics are also focused on money in the other way. They think money itself is the problem and you can't have money.

You need to give all your money away and go live in poverty and not produce wealth. There's error in that direction, too so what should we say about money as I got to thinking about it my I guess my angst about preaching Luke 21 1 to 6 today was actually replaced with joy and excitement because see money itself is not the root of all evil and Money is not what provides for our needs.

Money is only an indicator of what is happening inside the human heart. Luke 21 is somewhat about money, but more than that. It's about our response to God how we value God who God is and how we respond to him and so actually, I believe it's the perfect passage to look at this morning an expository preaching just kind of does that for us if We just go through the text and allow the text to define the message that we speak that week.

God has a way of weaving together his plan In his sovereignty so that what we come across is exactly what each of us need to hear. That's the case this morning. Some of you might be struggling financially.

Not making ends meet the sermon is for you. Maybe you're doing well. But the Lord would have a different word to speak to you in your financial situation. In all things though. He's not after our money.

Don't you know that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Do you think he needs our money? No, he's God. He made the universe. He's spoken into existence. There's no lack in him. But he wants our hearts.

Luke 21 1 to 6 one of the most beautiful pictures in The Bible it's a picture of a woman who values God. Yeah, she throws in two lepta which is just 1 64th of a day's wage a denarius a Tiny amount of money and yet in God's economy.

What she does is huge and beautiful. Let's read it. Luke 21 1 to 6. Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins and He said truly I tell you this poor widow has put in more than all of them.

For they all contributed out of their abundance but she out of her poverty. Put in all she had to live on. And while some were speaking of the temple how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings.

He said as for these things that you see the days will come. When there will not be one here one here there will not here I'm sorry be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. Period struggled there with my reading a lepta was.

Pretty much the equivalent of a penny is today. Like I mentioned it was 1 64th of a denarius of a day's wage. She had two pennies to her name and she took what she had and she gave it to God. It's a beautiful picture of devotion.

But more than that, it's a picture of trust. She knew that God alone could meet her needs and provide for her what she needed to live on. Jesus responds to this by saying that she actually put in more than the rich people who were throwing in gobs of money.

Then looking around people notice this temple and I think there's a connection here with this next story. It transitions in here because they notice the grandeur of the temple now. I need you to understand something.

This temple was glorious. It was rebuilt in the days of Haggai not even to the level of Solomon's temple. But when Herod the Tetrarch came when Herod that great builder came along he improved the temple and made it glorious.

It was overlaid with gold. It was enormous. It was the centerpiece of Israel's life it was ornate and the people were in awe of the temple and Jesus will turn around in verse 6 and mention. Listen, the days will come.

When there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. The wealth of the temple itself Was going away. Don't cling to it. It's going away. The first thing I want us to talk about we're going to have kind of three major points out of this in the first two verses notice.

Jesus notices the offerings that we bring to him. Jesus saw the rich putting their gift into the offering box. Now these offering boxes were in the women's court in the outside not the inner part of the of the temple.

But in that court there were 13 trumpet-shaped boxes. Where people would bring their offerings and they were spread out people could just quietly drop their money in not to make a show of it. Not to be noticed.

But Jesus saw the rich putting money in. And he saw a widow drop two small copper coins into that trumpet shape offering box. He valued hers more than theirs now. The first point that we have to talk about is How does God view?

What we give to him and it starts with what we give financially. How does he look at that? The offerings that we bring at this point the temple is still standing. Jesus will compare his body to the temple which one day will be torn down and resurrected three days later.

That's why he says destroy this temple in three days. I rise it up. But at this point in history the temple is still standing. Offerings are still being made. The old covenant is still in effect. The offerings that the people are bringing are rightly given to God in the temple boxes in the offering boxes.

How did he view them? There is a book in the Old Testament that addresses this question. After the Jews come out of exile, they're back into Jerusalem. They bring their offerings to God. I want us to turn back to the last book of the Old Testament.

We are going to spend a few minutes in this book. Because God sees the offerings that people bring. He sees what we bring to him that what's in our hands. What's our lives and what we bring to him. He sees us just like he saw them but what we have in the book of Malachi are 55 verses that have a lot to do with offerings.

I'm gonna do something unusual this morning. Maybe you've never spent time reading Malachi. Maybe if I say to you what's in the book of Malachi you draw a blank this morning. We are going to read it straight through and I'm a preacher.

So I probably won't be able to contain myself from jumping in with a little bit of preaching at a few points. It's just what I do. But I want us to hear the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the Word of God this morning.

Let's just let the book of Malachi speak to us a couple things. I want you to notice the priests are bringing offerings and God sees and Speaks through the prophet Malachi to tell them what he thinks of their offerings.

Now I think the general idea in American evangelicalism is if I throw something in the plate God is pleased with me. Why do we assume that? Well, maybe because we're not hearing what he says. Maybe he's never spoken into our lives in that area.

But listen to the Word of the Lord because it not only applies to them. It very well cuts me the preacher and each of you to the heart. So let's just hear what he says about offerings. See, it's more than about the dollar amount.

It's how you value The God to whom you are giving. Let's hear Malachi the oracle of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I Have loved you says the Lord, but you say how have you loved us is not Esau Jacob's brother Declares the Lord yet.

I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have aided. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says we are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins the Lord of hosts says they may rebuild but I will tear down and They will be called the wicked country and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.

Your eye your own eyes shall see this and you shall say great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel. So all we're hearing here is there's a distinction between the Edomites who live up in the mountains and the Israelites who are the chosen people Of God.

God makes distinction and he's actually bringing judgment on the Edomites while he's bringing blessing on the Israelites. Keep reading verse 6 a Son honors his father now. He's speaking to the Israelites and a servant his master if then I am a father.

Where is my honor? And If I am a master, where is my fear? Says the Lord of hosts to you. Oh priests who despise my name. But you say how have we despised your name? By offering polluted food upon my altar, but you say how have we polluted you?

By saying that the Lord's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals and sacrifice, is that not evil and when you offer those that are lame or sick Is that not evil? Present that to your governor.

Will he accept you or show you favor says the Lord of hosts and Now entreat the favor of God that he may be gracious to us With such a gift from your hand. Will he show favor to any of you says the Lord of hosts.

Oh That there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain. I Have no pleasure in you says the Lord of hosts and I will not accept an offering from your hand for from the rising of the Sun to its setting My name will be great among the nations and In every place incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering.

For my name will be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts. Notice quickly. What we bring in our hands to our God is our statement of how much value he has. If we bring this lame animal in Sacrifice because hey, it's no good to us.

Anyway, it's just extra. It's wasted and we throw that on the altar. We're saying to God. This is how much I value you but when you bring the best part a Sacrificial gift you say you are worth more to me than my money.

You are worth more to me than anything else in my life. I will sacrifice for you. I Value you that's the point his name being exalted verse 12, but you profane it. When you say that the Lord's table is polluted and its fruit that is its food may be despised.

But you say what a weariness this is and you snort at it says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick and this you bring as your offering. Shall I accept that from your hand says the Lord?

Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great king says the Lord of hosts and my name will be feared among the nations and Now Oh priest this command is for you.

If you will not listen if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name says the Lord of hosts. Then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed. I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart.

Behold I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces the dung of your offerings and You shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may stand says the Lord of hosts.

My covenant with him was one of life and peace and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear and he feared me. He stood in all of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips.

He walked with me in peace and uprightness and he turned many from iniquity for the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and People should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

But you have turned aside from the way you have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts and And so I make you despise in the base before all the people in as much as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.

Have we not all one father has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless. An abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem for Judah has Profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which he loves and has married the daughter of a foreign God.

May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts and This second thing you do you cover the Lord's altar with tears. With weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.

But you say why does he not? Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth. To whom you have been faithless though. She is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one with a portion of the Spirit in their union?

And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. For the man who does not love his wife, but divorces her says the Lord the God of Israel covers his garment with violence says the Lord of hosts.

So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not be faithless you Have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say how have we wearied him by saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights In them or by asking where is the God of justice?

Malachi, the Messenger, and the Coming Judgment

Let's pause there and talk for a moment. God is saying here to the Israelite priest. Look you're bringing your sacrifices. You're still doing your religion. You're there doing the rituals but your heart is far because when you leave this place you go and you worship idols and Their sexual immorality husbands.

You've divorced your wife. You've not been faithful to that covenant and you think that God will bless your offering. He condemns. He judges their faithlessness. He calls them to uphold his name and then at the beginning of chapter 3 He promises us rescue.

He tells us there's coming another prophet whose name is John the Baptist. Who's just like Elijah? He'll wear a leather belt. He'll have camel fur As his clothes he'll eat locusts and honey just like Elijah living out in the wilderness, but he will announce One who will come into the temple and Purify the people who bring the offering.

John the Baptist is coming and he will announce Jesus and Jesus will purify the offering. Guys when we read in Luke 21 That there was a widow who came walking into the temple. Jesus was standing in the temple a fulfillment of Malachi chapter 3 he the Holy One was in the temple and He's there to purify Those of us who will turn to him so that we no longer bring the afterthought.

The excess the abundance that we don't need know. Those who truly worship Jesus will bring your whole life. Your heart Your money your time your talent and you'll lay it on the altar. Let's read this.

It's amazing. Chapter 3 verse 1 behold. I send my messenger and he will prepare prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold.

He is coming says the Lord of hosts but who can endure the day of his coming and Who can stand when he appears for he is like a refiners fire and like fuller soap? He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and Refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the Lord.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to The Lord as in the days of old as in former years. Jesus comes to his temple. But not to set up his kingdom and not to rule rather to offer himself.

To make his offering and his offering turns out to be his own blood. He doesn't redeem us with silver and gold but with the precious blood of the Son of God. He makes an offering and his blood then purifies a people who turn to him who then trust in him and are holy devoted to him and the offering we give back to him is our entire lives and That is the acceptable offering this the offering of Jesus that purifies a people so that we Give what we have to him.

Romans 12 1 2 keep reading out Verse 5 and here listen for the tithe. We're going to talk about the tithe at this point. 10 Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers.

Against those who swear falsely against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages the widow and the fatherless. Against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the Lord of hosts for I the Lord do not change.

Therefore you Oh children of Jacob are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of hosts, but you say how shall we return?

Will man rob God. Yet you are robbing me. But you say how have we robbed you? In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with the curse for you are robbing me the whole nation of you bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test says the Lord of hosts.

If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for You a blessing until there is no more need. I Will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil and Your vine in the field shall not fail to bear says the Lord of hosts.

Then all nations will call you blessed for you will be a land of delight says the Lord of hosts. The prosperity teacher that you see on TBN. Not all teachers on TBN agree with this and not all of them preach this prosperity theology, but many of them do.

They draw from this passage and they say if you will bring your tithe and sow your seed you will be blessed. Financially, you'll receive more back than you give. The problem there is they don't understand the Old Covenant versus the new in Deuteronomy 28 to 30.

Israel as a nation is given this promise That as they obey They will physically prosper. But if they disobey they will be overrun by other nations. They will have droughts and famines and they will physically be in poverty and overrun.

We do not live as a theocracy as the nation of Israel. We are under a new covenant in the blood of Jesus and that means That hurricanes will come over the just and the unjust alike and The person who sows the seed into a prosperity teachers ministry Might very well lose everything they have in a storm.

There is no promise in this. For the New Testament believer to get rich by giving but notice what you do see Israelites being commanded to bring 10 in the New Testament. You see this widow. She's under this law she's required to bring 10

She doesn't give 10 does she. She gives a hundred. She throws herself entirely on the mercy of God because she has the two the two cents. She has can't even support her. She's entirely on his mercy.

She gives a Sacrificial gift everything that she has as a response and a trust in God. Let's finish this book. It's short. What's left? Malachi 3 13 your words have been hard against me says the Lord, but you say how have we spoken against you?

You have said it is vain to serve God what is the prophet of our keeping his charge or walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts and Now we call the arrogant blessed Evildoers not only prosper, but they put God to the test and they escape.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another the Lord paid attention and heard them and a book of remembrance was written before him of Those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. They shall be mine Says the Lord of hosts in the day when I make up my treasured Possession you see that imagery there this will be his treasured possession this people and I will spare them as A man spares his son who serves him.

Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves God and One who does not serve him. For behold the day is coming burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.

The day that is coming shall set them ablaze says the Lord of hosts so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall and you shall tread down the wicked. For they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I acts as the Lord of hosts. Remember the law of my servant Moses the statues and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children To their fathers lest I come and strike the land with the decree of utter destruction and the last word of the Old Testament is destruction here in 414 BC.

The Old Testament comes to a close and God goes silent for 400 years. He won't speak again until that voice. Crying out in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord this man John the Baptist who does forsake everything.

Leaving the wealthy family that he came from. Remember Zechariah was the priest that went in to the temple. John the Baptist who had given everything to go and preach in the wilderness. Announcing that Jesus has come.

The Old Testament ends on a pretty sorry note if there's nothing good coming if there's no Sun about to rise. But we flip back now and we're almost done. I just want to close this down. We flip back to Luke 21 and here the Son of Righteousness has risen and he's standing in the temple and He's teaching the people and he's healing the sick.

And here's a poor widow Puts in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on notice. God does not judge The sack though the offering that we bring by the monetary amount He brings he judges the sacrifice that we bring by what it costs us and How much it required us to trust in him.

This poor widow threw herself entirely on God. How can we do that? Luke 12 13 to 34 talks about how God Protects and cares for us if he takes care of even a flower in the field or a bird in the air. Don't you know he'll take care of you.

You can trust him in Hebrews 13 5 we're called to be content With what we have because we have Christ and if we have Christ we have enough in Luke 21. Look at 5 and 6. Jesus points out that these beautiful stones this beautiful temple.

Don't put your hope in it. Don't put your hope in money. You will find it to be a Counterfeit Savior, but here I need to sound a note of caution. Many people think that money itself is the problem. It's not in Fact if you will find in Christ your contentment.

Then you will work Diligently in order to have money. The monastics had it wrong. It says in 1st Thessalonians 4 11. 2nd Thessalonians 3 10. It's in your notes that we should work in order to be independent of others that we don't have to depend on others.

But there's an even higher motive I've given you Acts 20 Ephesians 4. 1st Corinthians chapter 16. Work is a good thing and providing for yourself is good. We should work so hard that we have something to give to others if We are content in what Christ has given us in who Christ is to us.

Then our work Becomes something that we can offer to God as an offering of love. Not because we're required 10 If the Israelites were required 10 Then we should give at least that as a benchmark, but it's no longer a law.

I Like the quote of this guy named James Petty on the back table. There's a little book if you're struggling financially. I want you to take that book and Look through it, but he has this quote at the bottom of your notes.

It is interesting that Christians who tithe 10 of their income to God Usually don't have a problem with overspending or excessive debt. Generous giving seems to self-adjust our choices and attitudes about money in the direction of spending control rooted in contentment.

Not everybody Feels called to tithe. But I've noticed this principle true in my own life and those who I've talked to if you make the commitment even when you're young to give 10 off the top of The money that God provides to you back to God.

This will be a blessing in your life. You will begin to adjust your spending around that decision. It's not that God will pour out wealth on you and you'll get rich for giving. But you will be content in Christ and you won't need so much other stuff.

I believe that the Bible teaches tithing as a law for Israel, but as a guideline for the church. And I believe that our giving I think the scriptures teaching should be so generous should be so motivated by The value that we place on Christ that we should give above and beyond 10

The Israelites were giving often 10 Finding ways to get around it a little bit and God was not pleased with their offering. And so I close with this thought. We're talking about money. God doesn't need it.

He doesn't need your money and Don't give money because you think God will then bless you with more money. God is after your heart and What we give financially is one of the best Snapshots into what is truly going on in the heart.

The heart is deceitful above all else. Who can know it? Are you giving 10 Are you giving? Above and beyond. Not because you think you have to but because you understand that the gift that Jesus Christ has given to us is the precious blood of the body prepared for him.

A Body you have prepared for me says the Lord the sacrifice. He has given that offering to redeem all those who would believe in him. And my exhortation from the book of Malachi. Don't bring the lame and the injured animal.

Bring the best part of yourself. Your work is rewarded with money. So that money represents ours. The denarius was a day's wage. When you go to work you work as unto the Lord. Recognizing that he provides whatever finances that you're given work as unto him but spend as unto him as well because what you spend your money on tells what you value in this life, and so it's a hard way to kick off our Fall together because let's let's face it.

People who are not in the church generally think that the church is about money. We just want to make money. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Those of us who know the living and true God. The God who gave his lifeblood for us Jesus Christ.

We give money and we do what we can to help others and to build the church. Because we're responding to the God who gave an offering for us. So I'm gonna call on Michael to come up. I'm gonna close in prayer and.

Closing Exhortation and Prayer

For some of you this was probably a convicting message because that's what the Word of God does. The book of Malachi. The example of the widow. I Want you to take some time and think about the offerings that you bring to God?

How much of your time is devoted to him. Your talent and your treasure. Reassess that in Light of the Word of God. But don't miss this this last thing guys as we close in prayer Jesus Christ died and there's nothing you can give to earn Acceptance from God.

You could give all your wealth away. But without faith in the Son of God it counts for nothing. It's not about money. It's about a Savior Jesus. Let's pray to him Father. We thank you that you recorded.