Power Of The Disciplines Series

Introduction

In this series of messages we have been talking about powering up when our spiritual batteries get low. Matthew’s Gospel teaches… We establish a powerful connection to God in baptism. In addition, through the Spirit and Scripture we Overcome temptations. We share our influence to help others find light for life. Today we go further into the Sermon on the Mount to hear Jesus talking about three spiritual disciplines of the Christian life.

“I will maintain that the only road to Christian maturity and Godliness … passes through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. I will emphasize that Godliness is the goal of the Disciplines.”- Donald Whitney

To engage in habits that will help us grow in maturity and godliness - that is what the disciplines are about. In this text Jesus talks about three habits/practices that the Christian should engage to help draw closer to the Father. He begins with a warning in Matthew 6:1: “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” This is a main theme in this section.

Three disciplines that Jesus assumes his hearers will be engaged in: Giving, Prayer, and Fasting. Did you notice the pattern as he talked about each one?

“When You…”

Don’t do it to be seen of men.

Do it only for your Father.

You will be rewarded

The repeated pattern of this shows Jesus is consciously pointing us toward some important truths in each area.

1. When You Give

Matthew 6:2-4 “Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

His first instruction is to those who would give flamboyantly so that everyone would think how wonderful they are. Don’t sound a Trumpet! This was referring to their giving both in synagogues and streets. Swindoll: “As a kid, I saw people thump the bottom of the offering plate to ensure that others knew they had put something in. I’ve seen people wave large bills high enough for others to see before dropping them in the offering plate.”

Barnabas sold some land and gave the funds to the church. Ananias and Sapphire sold some land and gave only part of the funds to the church. That would have been ok, except that they lied about it and said they gave it all. (Acts 4:36-5:11)

Today I do not personally know of any givers in our church who seem to be making it about themselves. The teaching from Jesus here is that we are to judge our own motives. Whitney: “…the reason the use of money and the things it buys is one of the best indicators of spiritual maturity and Godliness is that we exchange such a great part of our lives for it. Because we invest most of our days working in exchange for money, there is a very real sense in which our money represents us. … as we use our money and resources Christianly, we prove our growth in Christlikness.”

When we give…

Do we take a secular view of giving - it’s just because we’re expected to?

Do we give with the recognition that we are in the presence of the Father and He is to be glorified by our giving?

Is God glorified in your giving? More than amount, I believe He judges the motive. Whitney: “Giving is much more than a duty or an obligation, it is an act of worshiping the Lord.”

There is a promised reward!

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”- Luke 6:38 NLT

If our motive is impure, and the motive is the admiration of humans - then we have our reward. If our motive is to Glorify and please God, then our reward is coming.

2. When You Pray

Mt 6:5-15 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.