Give In Secret And Be Humble When Giving Your Tithes And Offerings

Hello everyone. My name is Spencer Coffman. Welcome to Social Media Ministries where our mission is to spread the living Word of Christ to as many places as possible through the use of social media. So, we would love it if you could help us do that by subscribing to this channel. Also, share the videos, and hit the bell icon to be notified when we post new videos so that you can be up to date.

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Today we’re going to talk about a story. I want to tell you a story about a person. It’s a widow in the Book of Mark. So, let’s go to Mark 12:41-44. So, if you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Mark Chapter 12. I will start reading. If you don’t have your Bible, if you’re driving, or if you are doing something else and listening while you work, or etc., don’t worry. I will read it to you.

So, here we go, Mark Chapter 12, Verse 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, but a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.”

Now, a penny, we can even think of this in today’s terms. So, let’s say that the many people, the crowds were putting in large amounts. Now, something to understand at this point in time is that this is the temple treasury, and the place where they’re putting in the money isn’t simply a wooden drop box or a place where you put in a paper check or things like that.

Remember, back then everyone had coins for money, so it was minted or cast out of metal. They were round coins – silver, gold, whatever the currency was, but they didn’t have paper money. So, all of this, putting the money in was very loud, and it would be like taking your big jar of coins and dumping it into one of those coin machines at the bank or at the local store where you pour in your money and it makes all this racket as it’s just sifting and sorting the coins.

And so, these people, they were casting in large amounts. That doesn’t necessarily mean dollar amounts. So, it was people who were – number one, they were putting in large amounts mainly for show. They were trying to puff up, like listen to all the coins that I’m giving.

Now those coins could have been worth, whatever, a penny a piece or a dollar a piece let’s just say, but many of them were probably dumping in amounts of small coins so it looked like they were giving more. Now, of course, it’s not the case with all of them, but it is the case with some.

And, then we get to this widow who, she put in only two small copper coins, so it wasn’t silver, gold, anything like that – two small copper coins, not bronze, that were worth only a fraction of a penny.

So, in today’s value, of course, that could mean anything. There are some – if you get a study Bible, you can dive into what it means, and they may give you a translation into today’s value. Today it’d probably be worth a hundred dollars, who knows with inflation and everything, but the point is she put in a fraction of a penny.

Continuing on in Verse 43, “Calling his disciples to him…” – because Jesus is sitting across the street watching this – “‘…I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she gave out of her poverty, put in everything – all that she had to live on.’”

Now, she put in two small fractions, two small coins, fractions of a penny. These other people are dumping in vast amounts. They’re showing it. The widow did it as well, and she did it publicly. But, she didn’t make a commotion out of it. She didn’t make a spectacle, and that’s what we’re talking about today – it’s giving in secret.

Now, today that’s a lot easier with online giving or with clicking to donate. So, you can do all of that. You can write checks. You can put in paper money so you’re not making a big commotion, or you could take all your coins to the church and dump it in the offering plate for those poor ushers to have to carry through. There or all kinds of things.

And, Jesus is saying here that she gave out of her poverty. So, this is a different lesson than giving in secret, but it relates to the same thing because a point I want to make is that all of these other people were throwing their wealth openly out into the treasury, making a loud spectacle of it, whereas this little lady just went in and dropped in two coins and was on her way.

And, those other people were probably scoffing at her, saying, “Oh, that’s all she gave.” But, Jesus recognized she gave out of her poverty, so that’s a different lesson for a different day. But, today we are focusing on the fact that they made a spectacle of their giving, and she really didn’t.

So, if we turn now to Matthew Chapter 6, we get a whole bunch of information on giving and living, really. It’s a really great Chapter in Matthew. So, I’m going to read the first couple of Verses. If you have your Bible, please turn with me to Matthew Chapter 6.

Verse 1, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

So, give in secret. Now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t share what you give or that you have to be secretive with what you give. You can’t put anything in the offering plate because you have to do it online in secret in a closed room with no windows. No, it means that you are not to shout it out loud in the synagogues or with trumpets just like these people in Mark Chapter 12 who were dumping their money into the treasury making a spectacle, loud clanging of coins going in.

You’re not to do that because if you announce it or tell it to others, that’s your reward. You’ve received praise here on Earth. But, if you do it in secret, you’re not getting praised here on Earth, you’re going to get praise from your heavenly Father who will reward you.

Would you rather have praise and rewards here on earth or praise and rewards from the heavenly Father, your heavenly Father, our heavenly Father? Personally, I’d rather take it from above. So, give in secret. It’s something that is between you and God. You have decided in your heart what you are going to give.

Now, the Bible tells us that your tithing is a 10 percent or a tenth of the first fruits. This is all over in the Old Testament, it’s the New Testament as well. You are to give a tenth to the Lord. He gives you everything here anyway, so you give a tenth of it back to Him. You can give on top of that. You can give more. Wouldn’t it be great if you could live on 10 percent and give away 90 percent? Maybe you can.

If you seek praise from people here on Earth, your reward will be from here on Earth. That is it. So, make sure that you do it in secret. Don’t even tell other people. You can give to your church by writing a check, putting it in an envelope, dropping it in the offering plate. You could put it in a box, you could drop it off at the office, you can mail it in, you can give online.

You can donate to Social Media Ministries by clicking links, doing it online. We don’t even have a public congregation, so if you donate to us, pretty much no one’s going to know about it unless you post on Facebook or something that you just gave $1,000 to Social Media Ministries, or if you’re a big donor, maybe we would recognize you and say thank you publicly.

That’s fine. If you get recognized by your actions due to the actions of someone else, that’s different. So, for example, if you donated $10,000 to Social Media Ministries, we’re going to do something about that. Even if you donated $1,000, this is a big deal. We’re going to say thank you. Now, us choosing to say thank you isn’t you seeking attention. Do you see the difference?

If you seek attention for it, you will get the attention, and that’s your reward. That is it. If someone else praises you for it, that’s fine. Say, “Thank you, no problem.” Don’t seek more praise, don’t get an ego about it, don’t get cocky – stay humble.

Now, as we’ve read, Matthew 6:3 and 4 says when giving to the needy, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, or left hand know what your right hand is doing. This is because it is to be done in secret. Tell no one. Don’t even tell your friends.

Obviously, you want to tell your spouse, or if you have a significant other and you guys are having finances together, they should know. Or, if you’re a child, you want your parents to be involved in what you’re doing because financially these are the people that you are together with. You need to have their guidance and support.

We are going to turn to another Verse in the Bible because this is very important that you do this in secret, or, again, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. Now, I want to give you a little more support, so we’re going to turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 15, Verses 7-11.

“If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to abhor this – to harbor this wicked thought: ‘The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,’ so that you may not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing….”

“…Then he may appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this, the Lord your God will bless you in your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”

So, that’s a long, long paragraph saying basically if there are poor people around you, you need to be giving to them, you need to be supporting them, and when you do it, don’t do it grudgingly. If you lend to someone, the year of the sabbath, as it was every seven years – still is – that’s when all the debts were wiped clean so that they didn’t have to pay it back. Now, obviously, if someone took a loan and then just waited seven years and they misused that, they’re guilty of sin.

Today, this is a little different because we simply don’t follow it anymore. Jesus came along and changed some of this, but the point that we’re making here is the last couple Verses. Number one you’re to give generously without a hard heart or begrudging attitude. Okay, you do this “without a grudging heart, because of this the LORD…” – capital L-O-R-D, so Yahweh – “…your God will bless you in everything you put your hand to.”

So, if you give freely, you give in secret, and you are okay with it, you will be rewarded by your Father in Heaven, “Therefore I command you to be openhanded to your brothers and toward the poor and the needy in your land.”

Donate, give money, be open to the idea. It doesn’t mean give everything away and be foolish with your wealth. God gave you all of this to use properly, wisely, so you need to be seeking His advice and discernment on where you need to be giving your money.

Proverbs tells us a little bit more about how we are to give. The point is, again, open-hearted but also in humility like the widow and like – unlike the people who are dumping in their coins. We’re going to go to Proverbs 22, Verse 4. It says, “Humility and fear of the Lord bring wealth, honor, and life.” So it kind of comes full circle here.

We have you are to give in secret, not seeking praise from those around you. That means humble, humility – you’re not getting attention from those around you, you’re not seeking praise. What are you seeking? You’re seeking reward from your Father in Heaven, from Yahweh your God. He will give you success in everything you do, your work, and everything you put your hand to. Sounds like a great reward to me. You are doing this in humility.

Now, Proverbs says if you are humble, humility and fear of the LORD – LORD capital L-O-R-D, so Yahweh – humility and fear of Yahweh bring wealth, honor, and life. So, if you’re humble, you will get wealth. If you give that wealth in secret, you’ll be blessed in everything you do, which means what? You will get more wealth. And then you will continue to give.

If we go to Luke Chapter 14, Verse 11, we see something similar. So, Luke 14, Verse 11, let’s go there. Turn with me, Chapter 14, Verse 11. Okay, it says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This is Jesus’ words.

So, back to the giving. If those people who are pouring in their coins making a big spectacle, that’s exalting themselves. People all around are saying, listening to all of that. They’re saying, “Man, those people are giving a lot of money.” They are exalting themselves. They will be humbled. Why? Well, if you give in secret and you are humble, you’ll get more wealth, your Father in Heaven will reward you, and you will be exalted. So, you’re going to get a lot more.

These people who are here, who are giving, they have already received their reward in full. Which means, yes, they may be rich, they may be giving a lot, but they may not be getting a lot more. Now, that could be here on Earth, and it also could be in Heaven.

Again, we want to store up treasures in Heaven. So, even if you give freely, give in secret, and God doesn’t bless you abundantly with riches, you may be being blessed somewhere else. So, you need to find those blessings. You need to be humble.

Remember, it’s okay if someone sees you giving or if they notice that you gave a lot of money. For example, your accountant might say, “Oh, you all made $100,000 last year, but you gave away $30,000. Wow, good for you.” Or the IRS is going to see it because you might write it off on your taxes. So, again it’s okay. People are going to know, the people you give the money to.

For example, you donate to Social Media Ministries, we’re gonna know. Why? Well, because we’re getting it. Your church, they’re gonna know. They’re going to send you a year-end statement so you can write it off on your taxes or whatever. The point is people are going to know, so don’t be afraid of people knowing.

The point of it is you need to be humble and, and stay living in humility by giving in secret. So, you’re not exalting yourself. You’re going to receive rewards from your Father in Heaven. If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled, and if you seek rewards from people here on earth by giving, then that is your reward in full. You want your reward to be from your Father in Heaven.

So, again, perform your giving. If you’re praised, simply be polite, move on. The point is not to intentionally seek praise for your giving.

There’s a story in the Bible that says if you are invited to dine with rulers, seat yourself at a low seat in the table, or at the table, or in the room depending on the version. Then, the ruler will move you to a higher seat, and you will be exalted.

It is better to start low and move high than to sit in a high seat and have them say, “Hey, excuse me. Move somewhere else.” Then you will be humiliated, humbled, you will be taught humility, and you’ll be embarrassed, really. So, it is better to start low and receive the praise if it is due than to seek praise yourself and be humbled.

It’s a very important lesson. It’s important in a lot of different areas, but when it comes to giving it is especially important. Because when you give in secret, your Father will see what is done in secret and reward you. You are humble, wealth and honor and life will come to you, and the Lord, Jesus Christ, will also bless you and bless the work of your hands and give you success in what you do.

If you don’t give in secret and you seek your own reward, then that is it. Your reward will be in full, and you will be taught humility. So, I really hope that you decide to give in secret, and if you feel so inclined to give to Social Media Ministries, that would be even better, not, obviously, for you or for Christianity but for us.

We would just really appreciate it if you would find room to give to Social Media Ministries, and if you can’t give financially, perhaps you can give by sharing our videos, by referring people to us, or getting the word out there. Because, like I said, our mission is to spread this right here, the living Word of God, to as many people as possible through the use of social media. And, the only way that can happen is if people like you share the content so that it will spread.

We’re producing the content. We can’t make people watch it. Word of mouth is the best way to get people here, so, we need more people engaging in word of mouth and sending it. And, eventually, if we get donations financially, then, of course, we could promote and advertise more and start doing more to get people coming in.

So remember, give in secret, and your reward will come from Heaven.

Let’s pray:

Father Yahweh, thank you so much for this time together. Thank you for this message. I pray that it will resonate in each and everyone. Even though there were instances of stuttering or stumbling or spots where it may not have been clear, I ask that you remove all of the unclearness and the confusion in the message and let the points hit home and hit hard to each and every one of the people who are watching this.

Please, Lord, give them the openheartedness and the willingness to give and to donate and to follow your commands for their money and their wealth and their time, as well. Have them give their time and any resources they have. You have given them everything, you have given us everything. We need to give you a tenth of that back, whether it is our time, our money, anything like that.

It all comes from you, Lord, and we recognize that. Thank you so much for that. Please help them to learn more about how to give in secret, to be humble. If they are not humble, Lord, teach them humility and allow them to give in secret. And, please bless them for doing so.

Lord, as these donations go and they give, whether it’s to their local church, whether it’s to Social Media Ministries, or to some other organization, please guide that giving. Allow those organizations to do with it as you see fit. Your will be done, and Lord bless them. Give them more so they will give more. Allow them to prosper. Bless the work of their hands. Keep them humble so that they will continue to enjoy wealth, honor, and life.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Once again thank you so much for tuning in today. I really hope that this message worked with you. Please click the bell icon, the subscribe button, and the like button to show your support. And, if you would like to support us financially, that would be great, as well. And, also, continue keeping us in your prayers so we can continue trying to spread the Word of God to every place possible.

God bless.

Money God’s Way: Rich Or Poor It’s Up To You – Devotional Book by Spencer Coffman