Secret Devotion Series

Secret Devotion | Matthew 6:1-8

Introduction

(1) My Sports Story

(2) The thing about sports – team sports and individual sports – is that it is all about accomplishments.

(3) Being recognized for our accomplishments stands in contrast to much of what Jesus calls us to do. Jesus calls us to live lives of humility and what he does call us to do (retail workers, construction workers, pastors, teachers, evangelists) is about us getting recognition but to use whatever gifts he has given us to use for his kingdom/glory and for others.

Sermon on the Mount Review

(1) The Beatitudes: This is what a follower of Jesus looks like.

(2) Salt and Light: This is the influence that a Christian has.

(3) High View of God’s Word / God’s Law.

(4) You have heard that it was said:

a. Self – Control (Anger / Lust / Divorce)

b. Integrity.

c. Retaliation

d. Loving your enemies.

(5) Every time Jesus presents a new topic (lust – divorce – integrity – retaliation – love your enemies, he begins with you have heard that it was said or in other words, this is the interpretation of the Word you have been given.

(6) Now, he begins a new section about righteousness, and he is no longer saying it. Why?

(7) What is the greatest message you can share with others? – Your life! Jesus isn’t going to discuss a message that has been passed down or interpreted incorrectly; he’s going to begin talking about the way the religious leaders have been living their lives – which is the message they are sharing with others. It is important to live what we believe!

(8) Why is all this important?

a. Michael Plant, Professional Yachtsman, Summer of 1992, set out on his sailboat.

b. What makes sailboats unique is that they are intentionally built with more weight below the waterline than above it. His sailboat had an 8000 lb. weight bolted below it and the principle is that as long as the weight below the waterline is always greater than the weight above it, the sailboat will always correct itself and stand straight (even if winds / water blow it over).

c. In the case of Michael Plant, they lost radio contact and after a number of days sent a search party out and found the sailboat upside down and they discovered the 8000 lb weight was missing. Without that weight, he became lost at sea.

d. It is the same for followers of Jesus – if we don’t get our private lives right – it will show up.

[The Way of Jesus]

Verse 1: Good Deeds:

- Don’t sound a trumpet, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, don’t pray like hypocrites! They receive what they want in this life! The temptation that comes with doing good deeds is to accept the admiration of others (which is often the result of doing these good deeds). The issue with this is that WE TAKE THE CREDIT rather than giving God the Glory. (if we believe God is who he says he is then he has the right to receive the glory).

- All the showboating and ‘look at me and how good I am’ mantra that the religious leaders displayed is what Jesus detested. They weren’t living for God for a relationship, they were praying and drawing close to him for intimacy, they did it for the attention and the praise of people around them. They wanted to look good. They did it for show and nothing else!

- The Pharisees were held in the highest esteem. They were celebrity pastors and the people that followed them, did everything they could to memorize their every word and action because they wanted to emulate them in every possible way.

Verse 2-3: When you give in need…

- Not if you give but when you give.

- Followers of Jesus are called to give their Time, Talent and Treasure!

- Don’t let others know about it. Don’t give to others for recognition!

Verse 4: Give your gifts in private…

- The antidote to this need/this hunger/this craving for personal admiration and the constant need to be liked/loved/praised is personal devotion!

- Your secret life with God is reflected in your relationships with everything and everyone else!

Verse 5-7: When you pray…

- In the same way, prayer needs to have an aspect of personal devotion as well. (Corporate prayer/giving) is acceptable; Jesus is calling us to have a heart posture towards humility and devotion for the purpose of cultivating an intimate relationship with God the Father, not for praise and admiration of others.

Verse 8: God knows your needs.

- So why pray? This leads to the next section…the Lord’s prayer.