Dear Christian friends:

Next Sunday is our Loyalty Sunday. Each one of us will be asked to sign a pledge for 1968. So today we ask ourselves, "How much should I pledge?

Our text also tells about giving money for church. So this morning I want to preach about giving money to the church. All of us, if we really love Jesus want to please Him and make a good pledge next Sunday. So let us attend to our text and answer the question:


That is not an easy question to answer, but if we attend closely to our text we shall learn some important things about giving.

First, we should give, knowing that Jesus is watching us while we give. Our text says, "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury." (verse 41)

Many people think God does not see their pledge and their gifts to the church. So they give only a little bit of their income. They think, "Nobody will see. Nobody will know." They refuse to sign a pledge. They refuse to use offering envelopes. They think, "If I do not pledge and if I do not use envelopes, nobody will know how much I give." But Jesus sees and Jesus knows. As He watched the people long ago in the temple, so He today looks down from heaven and watches how each one of us gives for church. He knows if we are generous or stingy. He knows if our heart is happy or sad to give. We may deceive the pastor and other members, but we cannot deceive Jesus. He knows everything about us; how much we earn, how much we can afford.

So when you make your pledge next Sunday, remember Jesus is watching you. Jesus your best friend and helper, He is watching you. He will be happy and proud to see you make a generous pledge. He will be sad if you do not show love to Him also in this way.

Jesus watched the people put money into the church boxes. He saw many rich people file by and pour in large gifts. Then He saw a widow come and drop in two small coins worth about one penny. Was Jesus displeased because the widow put in only one penny? No? He was pleased and said to His disciples, "Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything, all she had to live on.” (verses 43-44)

All the others did not give their food money or rent money or clothes money. After they gave they still had plenty of money left to buy food, clothes and pay other bills. But the widow gave her food money and clothes money. She gave all her money, "What she needed herself."

Perhaps you say, "She was foolish and crazy." Does Jesus call her foolish? No! He praises her to the disciples. The Holy Spirit put this in the Bible and for 2,000 years whenever anyone reads this they praise her and God's love. People read this and say, "God's Spirit is very strong to make someone love God like that."

So you and I should also love by giving our food money and rent money sometimes. "We love Him, because He first loved us. God did not keep back His only Son, but gave Him on the cross for us. We our right to love Him very much now and give first to Him before we pay our food, and rent and other things.

The widow also showed very strong trust in God by her gift. She trusted that God would give her more money later on so she could buy food and pay her bills.

Many Christians do not give much to church because they are afraid. They say, "I can't give to the church first. First I must buy food and pay for the car and pay the monthly bills. If I have some money left after all the bills are paid I will give that to God." If you think like that and do like that, you do not trust God to take care of you and feed you and protect you.

Do like the widow. She gave to God first and trusted Him to take care of her. She gave with a strong trust in God. So Jesus tells us to trust in God in Matthew 6:25-26, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" He will take care of you. Don't worry about food, drink, clothes and the future. Leave that to God. You do His wish and He will not fail you.

If you trust yourself and trust in money, then you will worry too much. You will get sick with arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attack. They you will have to spend lots of money for doctors, medicine and hospitals. That's foolish. Better to trust God and not worry about food, clothes and other things. Then you will keep your good health to old age.

For 1968 put God first on your list. If you do, that will help you to trust in Him. You will be healthier and happier and your church will go ahead with great success.

Let's not trust in earthly things. Don't give God our left-overs. Love Him, respect Him, trust Him and you will know how to give.

Amen.