Methods And Motives!

God knows exactly how we feel as parents, because in this text He shows us this is one of His concerns. Notice, He says to the children of God, in Matt. 6:8, “BE NOT YE THEREFORE LIKE UNTO THEM….”

To understand who He is talking about we have to go back to the previous chapter. Look at Matthew 5:1-2, we read, “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them…”

WHAT DID HE TEACH THEM? He taught them a number of things about the SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, about how they did things incorrectly. After He showed them the way they did things, He said, “BE NOT YE THEREFORE LIKE UNTO THEM….”

He taught them they should not be like them in their GIVING, their PRAYING and their FASTING.

Let me show you how God does not want us to be like them when it comes to -

I. THE MONEY

Giving, praying and fasting are things the Bible teaches we should do as Christians. But they did them for the wrong reasons. For example, notice, HOW DID THEY GIVE?

Look at verse 1, we read, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, TO BE SEEN OF THEM: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

Did you know that people respond better in their obedience to the commands of God if there is someone watching them? It is the nature of man; he likes to be SEEN! This is true in the secular world and the spiritual world.

Illus: The next time you watch a professional football game, there may be 80,000 people in attendance, and it may be televised before millions on television.

Do you think those men would play with the same fervor if the stadium was empty and there were no television cameras there? I DO NOT THINK SO!

PEOPLE LOVE TO BE SEEN

Illus: Former television pastor, Rex Humbard, once was pastor of a large church in Ohio. Almost every Sunday the church was full, reaching as many as 5,000 a Sunday. When he was preaching, he televised the Sunday morning services. During the services the television cameras were constantly scanning the audience as they prayed, gave, and worshipped the Lord. When he announced he was going to retire and the services were no longer televised, their attendance was cut in half immediately.

It is a statistical fact that if you can provide a forum for people to be seen, THEY WILL BE THERE TO BE SEEN! This is especially true for politicians.

Illus: They say the most dangerous place in Washington is between a politician and a television microphone.

It is not only true of politicians; people like to be seen.

Illus: Have you ever been watching a news program and the person you were watching was sitting by a window, and the people out on the street saw they are on television and they started waving their hands and jumping up and down? Why? They want to be seen. It is a fact of life, people love to be seen.

In Matthew 6:1-4, the Lord is teaching that our motive for giving should not be to be seen by men. Does that mean Jesus was teaching that all our giving should be done PRIVATELY not publicly? No, that is not what the Lord is teaching here.

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger received an offering for a foreign mission project. The people responded well and brought their offering down and put it in the offering plate.

After the service, this wonderful Christian man came to him and said, “Dr. Belger, I did not come down this morning, but here is some money I want to give for the mission project.”

Dr. Belger thanked him and said, “Let me ask you something, why didn’t you bring your offering down with everyone else?” He said, “Because I believe the Bible teaches that all of our giving should be done privately.” He then said that the Bible says “...let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:”

Dr. Belger quickly explained that there are times for private giving, but the Bible also teaches public giving. He explained to him that in the New Testament, they literally brought their offerings and laid them at the Apostle’s feet. He further explained that giving, both PUBLIC and PRIVATE, done with the right motive, is pleasing to the Lord.

God has a purpose in having His people give in public. WHAT IS THAT PURPOSE? The answer to that question is found in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”