All In 11.23.25

Title: All In
Key Verses: Mark 12:41-44
Link to full Sermon: (click here)

Mark 12:41-44 All In

This past Sunday, Pastor Ricky from Sovereign City Church brought a needed and powerful word to Emmaus. His message centered on one of the most beautiful portraits of love in the New Testament. It is a story not about the size of a gift, but about the state of a heart. The passage came from Mark 12 verses 41 through 44, where Jesus observes people giving their offerings in the temple.

Many brought large gifts. Their coins clanged loudly as they dropped into the metal trumpets of the treasury. The noise drew attention and admiration from the crowd. But Jesus was not impressed.

Then a poor widow came forward. She carried almost nothing in her hands. She had two small copper coins, both together worth just a penny. When she dropped them in, they barely made a sound. Yet Jesus saw something in her gift that far outweighed everything given before her.
She did not give what was comfortable. She did not give what was convenient. She did not give what required no faith. She gave all she had.

And Jesus said she had given more than all the others.

Jesus Sees What We Give

Pastor Ricky reminded us that Jesus was not casually observing that day. He was watching with intention and purpose. The word used in the original language means to watch as a focused spectator. He was not looking at the amount. He was looking at the heart.
Many gave large amounts, but they gave out of their abundance. Their lives were not changed by their giving. Their sacrifice barely brushed against their bottom line.

The widow gave from her poverty. She gave what she needed to survive. She gave out of love, devotion, faith, and trust. Her gift made no noise in the temple, but heaven noticed.
Jesus always sees what we overlook. He sees the unseen. He honors the forgotten. He recognizes the costly yes. He hears the quiet faithfulness that no one else applauds.

Jesus Sees Why We Give

Pastor Ricky pressed into the heart of the message. The value of a gift to Jesus is not the amount given, but the cost behind it. God cares less about the outward action and more about the inward attitude. If He has your heart, He will have everything else.

Real generosity is not measured by numbers. It is measured by trust.

The widow placed her entire life in God’s hands. Jesus says she gave all she had to live on. The phrase means she laid down her whole life. Her giving was a reflection of her faith and her surrender.

Many people say, “I want to give, but I do not have much.”

The widow reminds us that God is not looking for equal amounts. He is looking for equal sacrifice.

Place what you have in the hands of a faithful God and watch Him multiply it.

True Generosity Begins With Understanding

Pastor Ricky also reminded us that biblical generosity flows from understanding four truths:

1. Everything we have belongs to God.
   Every possession, every blessing, every paycheck is from Him.
2. God entrusts some of it to us.
   We are not owners. We are stewards.
3. What God entrusts to us, we are called to use for Him.
   Our resources are meant to serve God, bless others, and advance His kingdom.
4. A grateful heart becomes a generous heart.
   Gratitude destroys entitlement. It shifts our focus from “I deserve more” to “God has already given me more than I deserve.”

A Picture of Jesus Himself

At the end of the message, Pastor Ricky pointed us to the greater truth in this story. The widow is not the main character. She only reflects the One who came after her. Jesus is the greater example of sacrificial giving.

There was another who gave all He had.

There was another who held nothing back.

There was another whose life was considered small by the world but held infinite value in heaven.

Jesus laid down His whole life.

He gave everything to give us salvation.

He paid it all so we could live.

It is impossible to be saved by the generosity of Christ and then live with closed hands. A stingy believer is a contradiction of the gospel.

The Question for Us Today

When Jesus looks at your life, your time, your gifts, your resources, your obedience, and your heart, is He pleased?

Are you giving Him what is comfortable or what is costly?

Are you offering Him your leftovers or your life?

There is a Savior who sees what you give.
There is a Savior who sees why you give.
There is a Savior who has given everything for you.
And He invites you to trust Him with everything you have.

May we be a church that withholds nothing from Jesus.

May we give Him our hearts, our lives, our time, our service, and our resources.

May we live with open hands because our Savior opened His hands for us.