In Matthew 6
Vs 1-4: Giving to the needy … (summarize)
Vs 16-18: Fasting ... (summarize)
Matthew 6:5-15: prayer
“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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
“But 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.
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!’
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Now, let’s take a look at another example
Luke 18:9-14
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Pride! What a killer of righteousness pride is!
Let’s look at these verses again!
Luke 18:9
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable …”
In Proverbs there is a list of seven things the Lord finds detestable! What’s number one? Haughty eyes!
Haughty: disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious
Do you know how blessed we are as a church to have such a humble congregation? I don’t see anyone walking around the church with an, “I’m better than you” attitude! Praise God for that! What a blessing!
Jesus was talking to a group of people with “haughty eyes” at that very time.
What was in the story He told them?
Luke 18:10
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”
- There was nothing actually wrong with being a Pharisee. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the ruling council who had opposed the actions of the council and they were both good.
- A tax collector was looked down upon because he would be seen as a collaborator with the Romans.
- Many tax collectors were cheats and would overcharge the people
Luke 18:11-12
“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
- The Pharisee stood by himself - he didn’t even what to be near the “other people." He wanted to stand out from the crowd
- Now listen, it’s a GOOD thing not to be a robber or an evildoer or an adulterer and if you have a problem with temptation in any of these areas you certainly should pray about it and ask the Lord for strength and help in your times of testing.
- And, it’s a GOOD thing to fast and to tithe but those are not badges of honor to be flaunted in front of others to show your superiority.
Luke 18:13
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
Andrew Murray says, “The truth is this - pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you.”
When the pride that lives inside of you is dead what is left? Humility!
We have here at Crossroads an excellent example of humility and I can talk about her because she’s in Texas and can’t hear me.
Janet’s skill level on the piano is probably more than the collective skill level of our entire praise team. And, we had a lady just like her when we were serving the people up at Trinity. What a blessing they are.
Highly skilled but making no demands and not even suggestions. I have to ask her opinion before she’ll tell me what she thinks!
Just before Jim and Janet and Janet Lynn left for Texas something occurred where the special music was not available and I asked Janet if she would please play something. Well, she agreed and out comes this awesome medley of beautiful hymns. It was incredible!
She had actually prepared that entire piece.
She would not ask to play it.
She would not say, “Would you please put me on the special music schedule?”
And to her it wasn’t a show piece it was an offering to the Lord to bring praise to Him.
And she won’t ask again, she’ll just prepare and wait to be asked and then will offer her best for the Lord.
On the other end of the spectrum of the skill level we see the little drummer boy (without his 'pa rump pa pa pums).
Come they told me, A new born King to see, Our finest gifts we bring, To lay before the King,
So to honor Him, When we come.
Little Baby, I am a poor boy too, I have no gift to bring, That's fit to give the King,
Shall I play for you, On my drum? Mary nodded, The ox and lamb kept time,
I played my drum for Him, I played my best for Him, Then He smiled at me, Me and my drum.
That seems like a silly little song, doesn’t it but it gets at the heart of humility.
Pride says, “I was the best” - humility says, “I gave Him my best”
Pride says, “I have the most” - humility says, “I owe Him the most”
Pride says, “I’m the most beautiful” -
Humility says, to Jesus: (start singing the song, "I Stand In Awe of You"
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above
Chorus
And I stand I stand in awe of You
I stand I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You
Conclusion, closing and prayer
