Jesus Speaks On Giving Series

The Great Commission

Part 11 – Sermon on the Mount – Giving

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION TO SERMON

† The Sermon on the Mount – The Beatitudes

† We are the Salt, staying pure with God’s Holy Word

† We are the Light, showing that Word to the World

† Hate is same as murder

† Lust the same as adultery

† Divorce

† Oaths

† The Law of Love

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 6:1-4 – Giving to the needy

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.

2 "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. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

I. JESUS ADDRESSES PRIDE

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.

a. Alms and righteousness

LIT GRK

Watch out, your righteousness is not done in front of men in order to be seen by them.

A serious matter of righteousness and the reason for your giving.

Giving is part of our righteousness. We know this because Jesus is saying so.

But everything is dealt with in our hearts.

Salvation and sin both take place in our hearts.

This is why Jesus tightened the Law so men would understand this.

The words we speak come from the overflow of our heart. Luke 6:45

Isaiah 64:6

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

If OUR righteousness is filthy rags, then how can WE be righteous?

1 Corinthians 1:30

It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Because we act, not in OUR righteousness, because ours is filthy rags…But in Christ’s righteousness.

Our righteousness says “look at me everyone!”

Christ’s righteousness says … nothing. He does in the name of God.

b. Pride and giving

2 "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.

Giving in Christ’s righteousness or our own becomes a matter of pride.

As the Pharisees wanted to be seen…

Matthew 24:23-

23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

They tithed to God, but had no justice, mercy or faith.

Jesus said tithe to God is meaningless if you do not live righteously!

25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

Selfishness and pride.

27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Jesus goes on and on about them…

They are an easy target for those spiritually minded.

They DID, but not in righteousness.

Everything was done for the approval and praise of men.

c. Pride and humility

Matthew 5:20 – Jesus said

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

II. GIVING

a. When you give

Jesus said “when you give”, in the Greek says “when you do your merciful deeds”

Two things to note here…

1 WHEN – Not “IF”

God expects you “TO DO”.

What fruit is coming from your heart?

2 MERCIFUL DEEDS – “this was meant as in addition to tithe”