A Matter Of The Heart

Elder Ee Yang began the sermon by sharing from Mark 12:28-34, 38-44. Jesus was asked about which was the most important commandment, as the Jews had the Ten commandments, 613 sub-commandments, the Talmud and Torah etc. Jesus gave the two most important commandments – to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” and pointed out the differences in the offerings of many rich people and a poor widow.

The biggest priority of our life is to love God (v28-30)

Elder Ee Yang shared from the verses Deutoronomy 6:4-5 and Matthew 6:33 – he exhorted us to put God as the first priority of our lives, following which it will be our spouse, children, work/ministry and friends. If we do, we should give the best to God and guard against distractions which can derail us. However, there are times where our priorities are misplaced, and we place our friends and work ahead of our family and God. Is God enthroned in our lives?

The process of doing it

How do we make God our priority? We are to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength (Mark 12:30). Elder Ee Yang shared a chart about how external behaviour is linked to our internal realities. The world focuses on the external behaviour but Jesus challenges us to bring our internal realities in line with God’s heart!

It is important to love God with our all, and not to be hypocritical like the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 23:27-38). The root word for hypocrite is “hupocrites” (Greek) – an actor or stage player. The Pharisees and scribes were hypocrites (Luke 11:42-52) – they focused on the minor above the major, reputation above character, rituals above reality, respectability over receptivity and knowledge over wisdom. Elder Ee Yang also shared about a case where a licensed moneylender was unscrupulous in their actions towards a businesswoman, and was called to task as the lender violated the spirit of the law even while following closely to the letter of the law.

The importance of posturing our hearts to love God (vs 38-44)

There was a huge contrast between the postures of the teachers of the law (Mark 12:38-40) and the poor widow (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus said that the teachers of the law would be punished most severely while He saw that she gave her all, however small it was. True worship is not dependent on the size of your gift but the purity of your heart. We are made pure and righteous in God (Isaiah 1:18, Revelation 9:18, Matthew 5:20) and we have access to the Kingdom of God through His righteousness.

Elder Ee Yang also shared about pride and humility. Andrew Murray wrote that God “gives us life moment by moment, with a constant working of His mighty power. Humility – the place of total dependence on God – is our primary duty and highest good… Pride, or the loss of humility, is the root of every sin and evil.” Jesus invites us to find rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30) and He will give us a new heart and new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26) as we seek Him.

Discussion Questions

1. Read the passage (Mark 12:41-44) on the widow’s mite and share your thoughts on what spoke to you.   [10 min]

Leader’s Notes: A recap question for members to share about what they learn from this passage. If this is the first time they have read this, what are some lessons they learnt? If this is a story they are familiar with, how has it in any way shaped how they give unto God? Leaders can also ask members to share a time where someone may have done a small gesture or gave a small gift out of a genuine heart but it meant a lot to them. Leaders can also invite members to share about a time where they felt that God delighted in the offering, however big or small. How were those experiences for the member? Leaders can also use this article if they find it useful for cell discussion- https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/widows-sacrificial-contribution/

2. What are the priorities of your life? How do you rank these priorities, and are the external behaviours reflective of the inner realities? [15 min]

Leader’s Notes: A relate and reflect question for members to think and share about. Leaders can ask members to write their priorities down and rank it. Leaders can also deepen the conversations by asking members to share more on the different items, on the reasons why they ranked the items that way, how are they allocating time and space to manage their priorities, what are their struggles in juggling the priorities, what are the joys they have when they are able to do so. How do they spend their time? How do they spend their money / resources? Do these coincide with their professed priorities? What do the “external behaviours” say about the “internal realities”? The purpose of this self-evaluation is to motivate and challenge members to make a positive change by putting first things first!

3. True worship is not dependent on the size of your gift but the purity of your heart. How is your heart’s posture before the Lord? What has God put in your heart to surrender to Him? [15 min]

Leader’s Notes: A response question for members to share about how they are in their walk with God – leaders can ask members to share about the good times, the lessons and the struggles. Members are encouraged to share what God has put in their heart to surrender to Him during this season of their lives. Leaders can get members to round up in prayer for each other.

Purity of heart is to will one thing, namely, God’s truth and God’s value in everything we do. The aim of the pure heart is to align itself with the truth of God and magnify the worth of God. If you want to be pure in heart, pursue God with utter single-mindedness. Purity of heart is to will that one thing. (Taken from https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/blessed-are-the-pure-in-heart)