Series: Cliff Hangers
Introduction:
These teachings were risky, some would even say very dangerous, they would be teachings that would be opposite of what the religious leaders of the day were teaching, and they would become points of dissension and points of exhilaration. Some people would rejoice and others sigh. Some would be happy and others angry. What Jesus was teaching them he put them all on the edge of their seats. His teachings made people nervous and yet it changed the way people of His day thought or perceived what the Kingdom of Heaven was. Jesus’ teaching along with their acceptance by the crowd would change the course of history between God and mankind. The people would be blown away by what Jesus taught and the religious leaders would pick up a spirit of offense against Jesus and seek His life for these teachings.
Summary:
1. Matthew 5:1-12 – “Who does God Bless?”
2. Matthew 5:13-16 – “Salt and Light”
3. Matthew 5:17-20 – “Old vs. New”
4. Matthew 5:21-26 – “Really bad Sin”
5. Matthew 5:27-30 – “Bulging Eyes”
6. Matthew 5:31-37 – “Who me Divorced?”
7. Matthew 5: 33-42 – “Divorce, Oaths and Revenge”
8. Matthew 5:38-48 – “Break the hate”
Sermon: Quit prancing around!
Scripture Text: Matthew 6:1-18
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.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Thesis: Are you doing your spiritual disciplines for the pat on the back? Giving to the needy, praying, and fasting is to be done in secret not so all can see your spiritual works of righteousness. It’s about giving not getting! It’s about God getting the glory not about your spiritual image.
Video Illustration: From Ground Hog Day and of Barney on pride and vanity.
Introduction:
Jesus continues to address the crowd on the Mountain and challenges them to make sure that when they do their spiritual disciplines that they are done from the heart and not for the purpose that others can see how righteous they are. Image or outward appearance means nothing To the Lord it's the heart that God the Father is looking at. Do you do good works just for an audience of One? Or is it for others to see?
The question being asked this morning is: “Do you do spiritual acts of discipline for the sake of your ego or for the sake of others opinion of your spirituality? Do you do them for an audience of one God the Father? Or do you do them to draw attention to yourself - to puff up your self-image? So why do you do what you do?
Once again Jesus points a laser beam of truth at the religious leaders of the day who were great at show boating their spiritual acts of piety. They did this to draw attention to themselves to their high and mighty spirituality but this made their heads puff up like balloons which soon put them on the path for their heads to explode.
When Your Halo Is Too Tight by Kelsey Coleman states:
When someone is walking around with their religion or piety on display for everyone to see, sometimes we say “They are wearing their halo to tight.” When your halo is too tight all kinds of complications set in. When you wear a hat too tight, you will get a headache, but when you wear your halo too tight you give other people a headache. You turn them off and make Christianity distasteful. Advertising is good in the retail business, but there are some things that advertising kills. One is humility. Advertise it and it becomes pride. Humility is a gift that at the moment you realize you have it, it’s gone. Something else advertising kills is spirituality. Advertise it and it becomes hypocrisy. (Sorry Excuse). Jesus speaks out against wearing our halos too tight. He warns us that we are to avoid any demonstration of superior piety (sermoncentral.com).
I have met some people who liked to toot their own horns and draw attention to their prayer life, their giving, and even their fasting. It was all about getting the ooh’s and awe’s from others! Jesus addressed this type of person and says – don’t do it. Don’t be like those religious leaders – drawing all the glory to themselves, strutting around like roosters saying look how holy I am. Look I am the spiritual giant here!
This wrong attitude or mindset is rooted in pride - Jesus tells the crowd to not act this way, don't be like the religious Pharisees.
Texts:
Proverbs 8:13: "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall."
Isaiah 2:11, 12: "The eyes of the arrogant man will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The Lord almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled).
Daniel 4:37: "Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."
When pride takes over in a person’s head their head puffs up and eventually their head goes poof!
Illustration: Pumping up a balloon - watch what happens when pride is in control of one’s life for to long – it makes it explode – pride also will puff up your ego and it too will cause your life to blow up and explode!
Pride is one of those sins which makes the Bibles list of the seven deadly sins spoken of in Proverbs 6:16-19:
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
Quote: Spurgeon on Pride – “It is much easier to be puffed up than to be built up, much easier to grow in self-conceit than in vital godliness, a little advancement turns many brains. 1193.519”
Kapteyn along with my thoughts look at pride this way:
Pride is what hurts us in our relationships - in church, in families, at work, at school, with friends. Pride makes us stubborn - I'm right, she's wrong - I know more about this than they do-they need to listen to me! Pride stops us from forgiving "I was right she needs to apologize to me not visa versa! Pride makes us put up false fronts "I'm not letting anyone else know my sins and weaknesses" "I don't have any problems only those people do! My life is perfect! I don't make mistakes! It creates walls of pretension. Pride makes us think we are better or know more than the other. We become proud of what we do, read or achieve. He says, “I am so smart! Nobody could do my job! Look at their work and mine -no comparison!” Pride believes it’s education makes them smarted than everyone else – I am smarter than you!” It tells the inflated head they cannot speak into your life you don't have a BS/Masters or Doctorate degree. Pride says, “I have more money than most others so I know more than they do!” Pride convinces us to think, “I can preach better than he can!” Pride puffs us up so we think, “I can teach better than they can!” Pride deceives people into thinking, “I do not need leadership classes ‘I'm a self made leader!’ Look at my success!” Pride drives me to work for salvation and then demands that God give it to us! Pride does not believe in freely receiving our salvation. It removes grace from God and from us, as far as we see it, some because of pride think they earned their salvation - just look at my works! Pride makes us less gracious toward others. We become more judgmental. Pride makes us put others down. We allow our heads to get bigger and bigger and prejudice sets in toward others. To the educated or non educated, wealthy or not wealthy, dressing in a suit or not a suit, being a part of a certain denomination or not part of a denomination, pride looks at peoples skin color and not their hearts this is why God says he hates pride.
T.S. – We need to make sure we learn from Jesus’ teaching on pride because I believe this deceived mindset has done more damage to the Kingdom of Heaven than one can imagine. Satan’s downfall was his prideful attitude with God. Therefore we must follow Jesus's teaching and instruction on how we should be practicing our spiritual acts of service in the Kingdom. We are to do it in humility thats Gods way.
1. Giving God’s way
a. Do it without drawing attention to yourself.
i. Illustration: JUST TO BE NOTICED
1. Every spring, hundreds of Hollywood “stars” gather for the Academy Awards. Very few “slip in the back door:” instead, they make an entrance. They walk down the long red carpet, smiling at the cameras and waving to the people in the stands (who, by the way, all had to apply and go through extensive background checks), showing off their clothing (and undoubtedly a bit more), chatting with the reporters. Some will go to great, great lengths just to be noticed. Contrast that with Jesus: to the man healed of leprosy in Matt. 8, He said: “See that you don’t tell anyone.” To the two blind men He healed in Matt. 9, He, “warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’” And in Mark 1, a demon possessed man in Capernaum yelled out “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”, to which Jesus replied “Be quiet!” Jesus often chose not to be in the limelight. In fact, most of Jesus ministry happened outside of the capital city of Jerusalem, away from the big pomp and ceremony of the Temple, in small towns and villages along the way. Until today. Until the event we know as “The Triumphal Entry,” the day we remember each year as Palm Sunday. This day all of that changes. Now, we see Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem being proclaimed as Messiah and King.
SOURCE: Steven Simala Grant, "Jesus the Triumphant King:" Luke 19:28-44. http://www.sermoncentral.com/
sermon.asp? SermonID=47038&ContributorID=7780
ii. Genuine, authentic acts of spiritual works are to kept on the down low – behind the scenes - in quiet only for the eyes of the Lord.
iii. The question to ask yourself before you give: Am I doing this for the praise of others or because I love the Lord?
1. Story: [Willing to Be Corrected, Citation: Jack Hayford, Midday Connection (11-28-01), used with permission from the Moody Broadcasting Network]:
a. Pastor Jack Hayford tells the following story…
Early in his career, Matt Redman, the popular Christian musician in Britain, was singing with his church’s praise band when his pastor confronted them. They were proud of their musical performance, he said, but they were neglecting true worship. Insulted by the charge, the members of the band left the church—all, that is, except Redman. Shortly afterward, he wrote his hit song "The Heart of Worship," which included these words: "I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you, Jesus."
b. Everything we do should come from our transformed heart and it needs to point toward Jesus and not at us.
iv. Jesus is driving home the point "Don’t be arrogant about your giving, don’t be bragging about it. If you do you then lose your reward in Heaven!"
b. Jesus’ warning in this passage is not about doing evil but about doing good just to impress other people.
i. We all want to be liked or to impress other people:
1. My grandsons love to say, "Grandpa look at me watch me jump, run or do a puzzle!"
2. Teenagers do all kinds of crazy things to get people to look at them and like them and be impressed by them.
a. Tattooes
b. Hair do
c. Dress
d. Color of hair
e. Piercings
c. We see a similar situation of people wanting all the attention over the last few weeks with Paul Maher and his million dollar contribution to re-elect Obama.
i. The whole gift was to say "look at me, look who I gave money too!"
d. Humble Biblical Stewardship is what God rewards and honors in the Kingdom of Heaven.
i. Quote: “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real” Thomas Merton
ii. Spurgeon’s quotes on pride:
1. “I must try to describe pride to you. I might paint it as being the worst malformation of all the monstrous things in creation; it hath nothing lovely in it, nothing in proportion, but everything in disorder. It is altogether the very reverse of the creatures which God hath made, which are pure and holy. Pride, the first-born son of hell, is indeed like its parent, all unclean and vile, and in it there is neither form, fashion, nor comeliness.”
2. “When a man admires himself he never adores God.” (2109.556 http://www.spurgeon.us/mind_and_heart/quotes/p4.htm#pride).
iii. John Ortberg facetiously said, “I know I’m supposed to be humble, but what if no one notices?”
iv. The Message words our text like this:
1. "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself.”
v. Are you’re tempted to be a people-pleaser to draw all your spiritual acts of service to yourself?
T.S. - We need to do things God's way because that is the right way both in giving and in praying.
2. Praying God’s way
i. Matthew 6:5-15:
1. The message says in verse 5: 5“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?”
a. Do we think God is saying hey Angels and Apostles come here and listen to Mike McCartney’s dramatic prayer!
b. He is not pointing to us from his box seat in Heaven saying Paul come here and listen to this great oracle of prayer from Mike McCartney!
c. No God sits on His throne and looks into the heart of your prayers, the condition of your heart in connection with His heart!
i. It’s about love not drama!
b. Don’t do it so others can see you do it. Don't pray in public to be seen by others.
c. In Jesus day they prayed at 9am at 12noon and 3pm.
i. It really became a spectator sport. People would gather to watch the religious leaders pray with drama, with great force but Jesus says don’t be like them.
ii. The religious would do it in public places so others would be impressed with their elegant prayers.
1. People would ooh! and Ahh!
d. Jesus reminds the crowd, "Don’t become self-righteous in your prayers!"
i. Because then there is no response from heaven – no reward from Heaven for their self-righteous prayers.
e. Jesus cries out to the crowd, "Don’t pray so others can be impressed by your many words."
i. Being humble is what Jesus is teaching the crowd:
1. Spurgeon notes: Now let us briefly enquire, in the first place, what is humility? The best definition I have ever met with is, "to think rightly of ourselves." Humility is to make a right estimate of one's-self. It is no humility for a man to think less of himself than he ought, though it might rather puzzle him to do that… Humility is to think of yourself, if you can, as God thinks of you. It is to feel that if we have talents, God has given them to us, and let it be seen that, like freight in a vessel, they tend to sink us low. The more we have, the lower we ought to lie. Humility is not to say, "I have not this gift," but it is to say, "I have the gift, and I must use it for my Master's glory. I must never seek any honor for myself, for what have I that I have not received?"
ii. Jesus is telling the crowd how they can surpass the religion of their religious leaders - it's by going lower not elevating themselves above others.
1. Quote: A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.” C.S. Lewis
2. D. L. Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.”
f. Jesus told the crowd, "Pray in your closet not on the sidewalks and you will receive a great reward in Heaven."
g. We are to pray in secret – it’s between you and God not others!
h. Don’t babble with many words in prayer you will make yourself look like you lost your mind.
i. Illustration: Elijah and prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel.
i. Instead pray like this: The Our Father Prayer:
i. This is a how too pray instruction prayer-not given by Jesus to be repeated over and over as a magical formula prayer:
1. Pray to your Heavenly Father
a. Note: You have to be one of His children to be able to pray to Him.
2. God’s name is to be honored if you do not do this in your life then your prayer is meaningless.
3. God’s Kingdom is to be the focus of prayer and ties into what Jesus has been teaching about-by the way this was Jesus favorite subject to teach on.
4. God’s will is to be prayed for and then obeyed as a part of prayer.
5. Then you can pray for your daily needs
6. Then you can pray for forgiveness but remember if you do not forgive others your Heavenly Father will not forgive you.
7. Then pray that you will not be deceived by the tempter but recognize the temptations of the evil one and resist him.
T.S. - Praying God's way and fasting His way always brings a great reward in Heaven.
3. Fasting God’s way
a. Don’t make yourself look starved or famished and draw attention to the fact that you are fasting.
b. Don’t try to let everyone know that you are fasting by looking famished.
c. Don't go around acting as if you are super spiritual by fasting and that you are suffering for Jesus sake.
d. Fasting is also suppose to be between you and God not the others around you.
e. Jesus said, "Don’t make a spectacle of yourself before others."
f. The Message: Matthew 6:16-18:
i. 16“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint.
17If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face.
18God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.
Conclusion:
To receive our reward in Heaven for spirituals acts of service requires us to do them in the spirit of humility.
If we however, choose to do them for public audiences for the purpose of image or pride than in God's eyes you lose your reward. God never honors or rewards the sin of pride and Jesus makes it very clear to the crowd that day that is on the edge of their seats. Once again Jesus points his finger at the religious leaders and says do not do what they do, there is no honor from God coming to them. As a matter of fact their self righteous acts will keep them out of the Kingdom of Heaven.
