Intro:
I’m an adopted Cincinnati Reds fan.
I married a girl from Cincinnati and became a Reds fan as a result of that.
But here is the problem with the Reds…every season starts off full of hope and expectation, only to come crashing down painfully by the beginning of June…heard on radio (Cin vs. Texas…worst in MLB)
And for that reason the Reds have not been as far as the NLCS since 1995 and have not won a world series since 1990.
I guess it’s just a summer slump.
You know, those hazy-lazy days of summer where the only reason you want to be away from an air conditioner is if you are sitting on a beach some where.
It affects ball teams.
It affects businesses.
And it affects churches.
You know the signs, a decrease in attendance.
Followed by a down turn in giving.
And the slump is in full effect, and if we are not careful we can be disheartened and begin wondering, “What is wrong?”
I’ve got friends who are pastors and on staff at churches all around this country, and at some point during the months of June through August…they face the same thing.
I’m not saying that it is ok; but I am saying that we are not alone.
So, is it possible for us to avoid the “Summer Slump” and still enjoy the summer?
Yes it is.
By all means…take your vacations, we need those times away.
Hit the road and go some where…enjoy your free time.
Go visit Mickey and Donald…but don’t forget what is most important.
While we enjoy time a way, and time with our family and friends, or just time to do absolute nothing…we can’t forget our first love and our commitment to Him.
How can we do that? I think we can find the answer by looking at the story of the Widow’s Mite.
Read Mark 12:41-44 and pray.
Transition:
This passage can be cross referenced to Luke 21:1-4.
Things were really heating up in the ministry of Jesus, His preaching and teaching ministry was at an all time high and the miracles that followed were nothing short of miraculous.
As a result He had captured the hearts of many who devoted themselves to His teachings…and also angered the establishment who saw Him as nothing more than a trouble maker and a threat to their religious and political dynasties.
His venture into the Temple in Mark 11 when he turned over the vendors and money changers tables only made the target on His back a little larger and more defined.
He was then challenged by the Sadducees in chapter 12 about the resurrection…the very doctrine that defines Christianity as we know it.
He went on to warn about Scribes and religious hypocrites, only to have an example of true devotion show up; a lowly widow giving her offering at the Temple.
It was this scene that Jesus used as a teaching moment for His disciples 2000 years ago and for us today.
It is this scene that we find 3 keys that can help ups avoid the “summer slump.
Let’s explore them this morning.
First of all…
1. Make Worship a Priority
This widow lady was giving an offering of every thing she had, and this is a part of the story that many of us know to be true…but we forget why she was giving the offering and where.
Jesus was stopping for a moment across from the Temple when this dear woman of faith showed up to make her offering…at the Temple.
The Temple was the center of life for the Hebrews; it was where the throne room of God can be found.
Every bit of religious activity for the Jews in the first century began and ended with the Temple.
Its main purpose though was for worship.
When the burnt offerings were made and sacrifices, they were an act of worship.
When the monetary offerings were made, it wasn’t simply out of obligation but out of devotion to their God whose covenant with Adam, Noah, Moses, and David gave them the hope of a Messiah.
And for this woman, her worship was not only important, but it was a priority.
I’m not sure what you picture in your mind when you read this text, because it isn’t real clear, but I imagine a weak and fragile older lady who was barely getting by according to anyone’s economy.
Her health was probably as poor as her pocketbook.
I can imagine that it was a chore for her to simply leave her home, yet she made her way to the temple to worship the Lord.
During the summer months, it’s easy for us to get lax in our church attendance.
There might be those days that we wake up and think a day at the lake would be the best thing for us.
Or perhaps it may be a lot easier for us to just stay in bed and in the air conditioning rather than getting out into the heat and humidity.
I understand…I’ve been there.
But we can’t forget the importance of worship.
It has to be a priority for us.
There may be times the lake may have to wait, or the bed may have to be vacated…and we won’t like it; but it will be worth it.
And when you are traveling to see Grandparents, Grandkids or Mickey and Minnie…don’t forget about the priority of worship.
A “getaway” doesn’t mean we are getting away from God.
Nothing can ever replace the gathering of believers in a house of worship where the name of the Lord is lifted up and glorified and where His Word is opened and taught.
Read Acts 2:42-27…they were “devoted” to these disciplines, including worship.
And notice in Hebrews 10:24-25…it’s not just meeting together, but it is gathering together for the good of us all.
God desires for us to worship, in fact, scripture says that God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Those who are committed to making worship a lifestyle when alone, and a priority when in a corporate setting.
Is that you?
So, during these summer months, don’t forget to make worship a priority.
And out 2nd key to surviving the summer slump…
2. Give Sacrificially
Back in our text, this widow gave 2 little mites…not the biggest of offerings in terms of quantity, but in quality, it was the highest.
She gave 2 mites, hardly nothing compared to some; but in terms of percentages, she was batting 1.000.
She gave all she had for the glory of God.
Now I know that there are some who are thinking, “I knew it…every time I come to church, all they do is ask for money and that preacher talks about money.”
Well, in response I say 2 things:
1) If you only hear sermons on money when you are here, you need to come more often…
2) And 2nd, do you realize that Jesus talked more about money than anything else?
If it was so important to Jesus, perhaps I need to spend more time on it myself.
Regardless, we need to remember that even during the vacation months the church needs to continue on mission to reach our community and world with the Gospel of Christ, and although the gospel is free…it isn’t cheap to preach it at times.
And even though gas prices are up right now…we have bills to pay.
For that reason we can’t forget that the tithe is the Lord’s.
The first fruits of what we are given by God are to be returned to Him…and then we are allowed to use the other 90% that He blesses us with for life in general; including vacation.
Remember, the first fruits belong to the Lord.
This principle runs all through Scripture…even in ways that we may not consider it at times.
Think about Prov. 3:5-6…you are trusting Him when you return to Him what is His.
And although we know that the law of the tithe was penned in Leviticus 27:30, the principle of first fruits goes all the way back to creation.
Read Gen 2:16-17…The essence is that the Lord said, “All is yours, but the first fruits are mine."
God blessed and provided for Adam as long as He kept that principle…until he took what belonged to God.
Are you guilty of that?
Taking it all and giving God the leftovers, if that much?
It’s simple; the tithe is the Lord’s.
Even when Disney or 6 Flags is on the schedule, the tithe is still the Lord’s.
We may have to sacrifice a few souvenirs or even a day of travel to give the Lord what is His…but it will be worth it.
So this summer, to avoid the summer slump, don’t forget to give and when necessary, give sacrificially.
And our final key to surviving the summer slump is this…
3. Live By Faith
Once again, to our text, this widow came with nearly nothing, and gave all of it.
How much faith did that require of her?
How much faith did she have in God that He would supply all of her needs according to His riches in glory?
She may not have known where her next meal was coming from, but one thing was for sure, she had enough faith in God to take that risk.
And when it is all said and done, that is what faith is…taking those risks with an assurance that all is not lost.
I’m not talking about gambling against the odds here; because there is no gambling involved when your faith is in God.
A great example of this is Abraham.
In Gen 12, when he was still known as Abram, God told Him to leave his country, family, relatives…all that he knew, and to travel to the land that God would show him.
That’s all he had…a command to go.
No itinerary, no maps, no Garmin telling him when to turn left or right; just God saying go and I’ll show you.
So what does he do?
At the age of 75 he packs up his wife and anything else he can take and hits the highway.
I don’t know about you, I don’t go to Texarkana without checking out mapquest and knowing what I’m looking for; Abraham didn’t have the luxury.
All he knew is that His God had called him and was sending him, and He knew that God would reveal Himself and lead Him.
And that is what God did, while requiring more faith from Abraham.
He told Him that his elderly wife who had been barren would have a son, an heir…that took a lot of faith.
And when God told Abraham in Genesis 17 at the age of 99 to circumcise himself as part of his covenant with God…how much faith did that take?
No clean medical center, no anesthesia, no scalpels…probably just a sharpened rock and a lot more faith than most of us will ever have.
And God blessed Abraham for that faith.
And listen to what one of the many NT verses about Abraham’s faith says, James 2:23, “and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God.’”
It was Abraham’s faith that saved him and it is the same faith that saves us.
Abraham had faith when He only knew some of what the future held for Him…how much easier should it be for us to have faith when we have the revealed word and will of God.
All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Christ alone to be saved…and then live that faith out day by day; even during the dog days of summer.
Notice back in our verse, it says Abraham’s faith made him righteous and a friend of God; so does ours.
Our faith in God and our willingness to give up ourselves to Him saves us and makes us God’s friend.
And it is as simple as ABC.
**Explain ABC of Salvation.
Are you living by faith? Taking those calculated risks based on the truth of God’s word and the assurance you have in your relationship with Him?
And most important, are you saved by faith this morning?
If not, let me tell you how you can be.
Closing:
Are you in the summer slump?
I hope not, because we still have a long way to go.
Avoiding it is simple:
1. Make worship a priority
2. Give sacrificially
3. Live by faith
If you have hit the slump, here is an alter where you can get things right with God, or I can pray with you.
If you need to be saved by faith, you can do that now also.
