An Audience of One
Matthew 6:1-6 "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. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 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. 6 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.
Matthew 6:16-18 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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so 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.
Intro: As we get into Matthew 6, we’re going to be talking doing good things, such as prayer, fasting, and benevolence. Three marks of Jewish piety or spirituality were prayer, giving to the poor, and fasting. A devout pious Jew was one who was generous to the needy and faithful in praying to God. But before we say too much about, prayer, or giving, I’d like us to think about why we do these things. What do we hope to accomplish by our prayers or by giving to those in need? What’s the point? What result are we hoping for? If we fail to find answers to these questions, one of two outcomes is likely: either we won’t waste our time giving or praying, or we might do these things, but miss any real benefit because we are doing them for the wrong reasons. Those who do right things for the wrong reason will get the wrong reward. Cashing in for man’s applause makes us miss out on the Father’s applause. You might get what you’re after, but it holds very little value, and will not benefit anyone in any significant way.
-Although we often seek approval from those around us, the only approval really needed is heart approval. And since only God knows the heart, only He can approve it. We all need a heart appraisal (Search Me O God), then through surrender we can find the heart approval we are seeking.
-Here is the main point of the message today.
Prop: True worship is all about God, not about us.
Interrogative: How important is it that we serve God and communicate with Him in a way that takes the focus off of us?
TS: Let’s look at a few thoughts about our motivations for serving Jesus and getting closer to Him.
I. Giving before an audience of One
A. Misplaced Motivations (Attention, Admiration & Honor from others- feeding pride, ego, self-centeredness, personal advancement, etc.) Giving in order to get something in return (whether attention, approval, more money back, or something else) is not the motivation God wants from us. Sometimes we might even give just to get someone off of our backs, but that does not reflect the heart of our Father. We might give simply because it is expected of us and we don’t want to look bad. Deep inside we would prefer to keep it and spend it on ourselves. Bribery is wrong as well. It is a form of manipulation that bends someone else’s will in our favor. There are many legal forms of bribery (lobbying and even campaign promises), but followers of Jesus have a kingdom heart that refuses to put people in a position to fail in their integrity.
-So, how and why we give says a whole lot about our hearts. Later, Jesus tells His listeners that where a person’s treasure is, that is where you will find their heart.
B. Proper Motivations (Honor God, Meet a need, Share God’s love, Obey God)
-Giving should be expected of those who follow Christ. That opens us up to being taken advantage of through guilt and manipulation, but we are still to give from our hearts. Jesus said, “When you give…,” not IF you give. Obviously, we cannot give to every need, but if we truly want to honor the Lord, we will learn to be open-handed – just like God is!
-Give, and w/ the right motive. Not to prove you’re a Christian, but because you want to, and find joy in it! God knows if we have a wrong motive.
-Vandals cut down 6 huge royal palms along a major Miami Blvd. The city wasn’t sure if they could pay to replace palms that large. But then someone donated 6 more…even bigger ones. They had them planted even. The old ones were 15 ft. high and were a nice foreground to a billboard which said, ‘Fly Delta’. The new ones were 35 ft…completely hiding the sign. The new donor: Eastern Airlines!
1 John 3:17-18 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
-The OT urges giving to the poor all throughout it. Remember, Jesus said He did not come to do away with the Law and the Prophets (the OT), but to fulfill them.
Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
-Now, having said all that, are there times when we are not supposed to give? While I always want to err on the side of being too generous, rather than miserly, I do believe there are limits and boundaries that guide us when we see a need. One of the best guides I have found is in Galatians 6. Galatians 6:2-5 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.
-This almost sounds contradictory (Carry each other’s burdens … each one should carry his own load). But there is some great counsel here. Burdens are things that are too heavy for people to carry on their own (grief, terminal illness, personal loss that leaves a person devastated). Nobody should have to carry their burdens alone, which is partly why belonging to a church family is such a blessing. But the load spoken of here is what each of us is expected to take care of. Our load is our own responsibility. Sometimes, in the midst of a crisis, our loads can become burdens. However, in the course of daily life, each person should take responsibility for himself or herself and their family, without expecting others to carry their load for them.
-This makes me think of the people of Israel when they left Egypt. Everybody had something to carry. So if one person decided they didn’t feel up to carrying their load that day, then someone else would have to carry double, or several people carry more than what was expected. If lots of people got lazy or tired, then everything would come to a halt because too much would be given to those who seemed strong enough to handle it. Many a man has carried an extra load to boost his ego or impress someone. Sometimes we want to be heroes to people around us, but if it’s all about us, and what people think of us, then we are missing something. Generally speaking, each person should carry his or her own reasonable load.
-So, while we reach out to people and serve others as unto the Lord, be generous and helpful. Reach out and help the poor as you are able to do so. But do not get trapped into carrying someone else’s load because they make you feel guilty. There may be times when their load becomes a burden they need help with. But if that is most of the time or all of the time, then the best help you can give them might be to encourage them and pray for them, but not carry their load for them.
II. Praying to an audience of One
-A little boy was saying bedtime prayers w/ his mother. “Bless mommy, daddy,” and then he shouted, “God, GIVE ME A NEW BICYCLE!!!” His mother said, “God’s not deaf, son.” “I know,” he answered, “but Grandma’s in the next room, and she can’t hear too well!”
-Sometimes we use prayer as a means to communicate with other people rather than with God. That isn’t always a bad thing, but be careful about using the precious gift of communication with God as a battering ram attempt to preach-pray a certain agenda on someone.
A. Wrong motivations for prayer
(Same- Attention, Admiration & Honor from others- feeding pride, ego, self-centeredness, personal advancement- political ambitions, etc.)
-When Lyndon Johnson was President, he had several guests in for a meal at the family room of the White House. LBJ had given the honor of giving grace to journalist Bill Moyers (an ex-Baptist minister). As Moyers began to softly say grace, LBJ - who couldn’t understand what was being said, interrupted Moyers, "Speak up man." Without looking up and barely stopping in mid-sentence, Bill Moyers replied, "I wasn’t talking to you."
-Moyers wasn’t trying to impress the President. He was trying to honor God. It wasn’t about getting attention or gaining admiration from others. It was about keeping God at the center. Remember, it’s all about Him, not us.
B. Proper Motivations for prayer
-John Bunyan said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart w/out words than words w/out a heart.” Again, prayer should be a given for a follower of Christ. Jesus said, “When you pray,” not IF you decide to pray. So, when we pray, what should be our motivation? –Prayer helps us Connect with God, Honor & Worship God, It changes us, It changes situations, It changes people.
-“Prayer is vitally linked to the outworking of God's kingdom purposes in our lives and in our world. Prayer releases God's power and moves Him to accomplish what we could never do on our own. Prayer is not manipulation; it is collaboration (partnership based on relationship). In order for God's blessing on our lives, our families, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world to increase, our prayers must increase. Praying well provides strength to the spiritual life just as breathing well provides strength to the physical life” (John Maempa).
-“Gaining victory over life-controlling issues, fears, habits, or whatever else creates bondage, requires seeking God's help through prayer and becoming a person of prayer. There is power in prayer. There is deliverance from every kind of bondage through prayer. Forgiveness and peace come through prayer. Help with life's decisions comes through prayer. Healing comes through prayer. Provision for life's basic needs comes through prayer. Restored relationships with God, a spouse, children, or coworkers will come about through prayer” (John Maempa).
-“Prayer is vital also because it keeps us in alignment.” (John Maempa)
III. Fasting before an audience of One
-Fasting was an important part of Jewish spirituality. It meant going without food in order to seek the Lord and draw near to Him. Several people in the Bible fasted on a regular basis, once a week or more. However, just like giving and prayer, some began to make a big show of it so people would think they were highly devoted to God and would be impressed with their piety.
-I believe fasting is still a powerful way to hear from God, but again, if we do it with the wrong motivation, all we will get out of it is hunger and some sense of approval from people around us. But Jesus said if you do these things to impress people, that is all you will get from it. You’re all cashed out before you even begin.
1. Drawing Near to God
2. Overcoming the Flesh
3. Humbling Yourself (“I humbled myself with fasting.” -Psalm 35:13)
4. Obtaining Spiritual Breakthrough
Conclusion: As we close, we all need to help those in need and we all need to pray and even fast, as Jesus taught. However, we may need to revisit our motives and purposes from time to time. What is your motivation for giving to those in need? What is your motivation for communicating with God? Why do you miss meals on purpose and spend time with God instead? Is it for attention so people will think well of you? If so, ask God to help you realign your motivations with His purposes. He wants to use you to bless others, and He also wants to be as close to you as the breath you breathe when you speak out a prayer to Him.
-Let’s pray and ask God to help us become the spiritual people He wants us to be, yet be real about it. When you give, when you pray, and when you fast, approach these spiritual activities with a humble heart, seeking more of God Himself, rather than lining the pockets of our ego.
[Some thoughts borrowed from Richard Tow, sermoncentral.com]
