Sermon: The Surest Path To Great Reward
Text: Matthew 5:20; 6:1-8; 16-18, 33
Matthew 5:20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Matthew 6:1-6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Introduction: After selecting some disciples and working a great number of miracles, a great multitude of people from Galilee, from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan followed Jesus to the mount of Olive. What a perfect spot for a discourse! Up to this point, most of Jesus’s teaching was done through signs and wonders as he was teaching by demonstration; now he chooses to teach with his words and practical application. As earnest men, usually do, He addresses His fellow men with distinctive and pointed speech. Jesus speaks in such a way to have maximum impact on His audience with God’s message. When Jesus opens his mouth, we all should open our ears and hearts. Jesus is teaching about serving, giving, praying, and fasting in a new way. The beatitudes had excited their interest and the practical application caused them to lean in closer. Jesus is not impressed by the large crowd, he understood that he must speak to a mixed multitude. Jesus addresses his message to at least four different categories of people in this crowd. This crowd is typical of any crowd, in every setting including the church. This lengthy sermon has been referred to as the sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5-7, Jesus addresses least four different categories of people in this crowd: the Heathens or curious unbelievers, the Hypocrites, the Half Hearted and the Holy.
The heathens are those who spend their lives pursuing after carnal things without regard for God or man. The Heathens are dangerous because they are normally hostile against religion and will fight against any moral and righteous restraints that stand in their way. The Psalmist says, Heathens rage and imagine vain things. Jesus cautions us when He says, “don’t be like the heathens.”
The hypocrites are those who sometimes do righteous deeds with wrong motives. Their weakness is that they love the praise of men, more than the praise of God. Hypocrites are like actors on a stage. They are dangerous because they are not saved, nor do they want to be saved. They are great pretenders who have religion without relationship. They are dangerous because they refuse to enter the door of Salvation and righteousness and block the door and the way for others who desire to enter. Jesus cautions us when He says, “don’t be like the hypocrites.”
The Halfhearted are those who make a halfhearted attempt to follow Christ, while pleasing themselves. Jesus cautioned, If any man will come after me, he must deny himself, take up the cross and follow me. The halfhearted followers seek to please themselves above all else. The halfhearted are dangerous because their immaturity causes them to be self-centered, self-absorbed, lacking commitment and conviction, lacking character or integrity. They are like those who begin a journey without counting the cost. Their testimony will be in effective and their witness will be trod under the feet of men.
Finally, Jesus addresses the Holy. The holy are those set apart by God, for God’s glory and for the benefit of mankind. Their conduct is righteous both internally and externally. (Mt 5:16) They faithfully and willingly, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Their sole purpose is to glorify The Father. The holy followers live useful lives as Christ followers, they are a source of praise to God and reflects well on the religion which they profess, and causes honor to be paid to God, from whom this religion proceeded.
In these chapters our Lord particularly described the nature of inward holiness and pure intentions. Without pure hearts none of our outward actions will be pure and holy. Jesus cautioned his disciples and would be followers that their righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees in order to obtain the kingdom of God. Mt 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus cautioned his disciples that their righteousness, integrity and piety must exceed that outward show of the Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees were men devoted to the study and the teaching of the law of Moses, and the traditional religious precepts. They had a reputation of possessing the favor of God, were guilt of even saying, “that if only two men were to be admitted into heaven, one would be a scribe and the other a Pharisee.” Their righteousness, however, was extremely defective. It was merely external, while their hearts were far from uprightness. Their righteousness was an outside show that was intended to procure applause of men, rather than to please God. Their rules and regulations were full of harshness and oppression rather than freedom and liberty. Therefore, in principle, in scope, and in actual fruits, their righteousness was of small value, although they were highly esteemed of men. Jesus cautioned his disciples and all his followers that God is looking for something more. God requires a better holiness from true servants of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They must seek first the kingdom of God and everything pertaining to his Godly administration and the other things will be added to our lives. What is the kingdom of God and how do we seek it?
The kingdom of God is the righteous rule and reign of God which Jesus came to demonstrate. Jesus came to display God’s righteous rule on earth, a dispensation of grace and truth from a God of Love. The ministry Jesus began on earth, would continue to grow through His disciples and his church will be completely perfected in Glory when He return. To seek and enter His kingdom means to share in its blessedness and rewards here and now and receive a full reward in the hereafter.
Jesus knew that in every crowds there are those who desire something more; to pursuit of the highest reward from God. So, Jesus begins talking about the right motives. (1) The right motive and intention in giving (2) The right motive and intentions in praying (3) The right motive and intentions in fasting. The Pharisees were guilt of right actions with wrong motives.
Jesus emphasized the necessity of a pure intention in all things, be pure from the greed of riches, from being overanxious about worldly cares or the fear of want. The Pharisees were doing right actions, their motives were wrong. If followers of Jesus are pursuing of the highest reward from God, they must not seek vain glory or the praise of men. These verses are a general caution against seeking vain glory, in any of our good works: All their motives, intentions and attitudes are summed up completely in the word righteousness. Though men may see your good works and even celebrate your efforts, this must not be the motivation of followers of Jesus. We are seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
If believers desire to pursuit of the highest reward from God, we must have a right attitude towards our neighbor, Mt 6:2-4: towards God, Mt 6:5,6: and toward ourselves, Mt 6:16-18. During this season we celebrate giving. The number of meals served, gifts given, the amount of families served are generally celebrated. Jesus said, the giving of believers should be done secretly. One writer said, “that if it were possible, thou might even hide them from thine own self.”
Some are anxious to have their donations publicly acknowledged and will give nothing unless it is put down upon a printed list, should take warning from these words. We also should learn to give to the cause of God and to the poor in the quietest manner possible. Give in secret, not to be seen of men. Then you will be rewarded openly. Pray in secret, not to be heard of men. Then you will be rewarded openly. Fast in secret, not to be seen of men. Then you will be rewarded openly. In other words, don’t tell anyone and you will be rewarded openly.
If we desire to pursuit of the highest reward from God, we must have a right actions, attitudes, and motives towards as we relate to God, our neighbors, and ourselves. Jesus shows us the surest path to His greatest rewards: Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek God first, and the rest will follow in due course. Jesus knows that in life you will be pulled a hundred ways. In life you will need many things to survive, yet you must choose to prioritize your life. He says, As for “all these things”, you will not need to seek them; they will be thrown in as a matter of course. God who gives you heaven will not deny you your bread on the journey there. The kingdom of God, and the righteousness reflected in that kingdom—seek these first and foremost, and then all that you can possibly need shall be given you. To promote the reign of Christ, and to practice His righteousness is our one object and we should make it the one aim of our lives! If we spend our life on that one thing, our life will be well spent. As for the secondary goals and objects of life, they will also be ours if we pursue the kingdom of God, and his righteousness first.
This means seeking whatsoever brings honor and glory of God, and extends His Kingdom on earth. Let your principal care and study be how to get to heaven, and how to promote the kingdom of God in the world; to bring your hearts into full subjection to the will of God, that the kingdom of God may live within you, and how to bring others to the obedience of faith and of the will of God. All other needful things of this life, will be added to you!
We must seek Him first and keep him first, lest we become distracted. Most of us remember King Solomon, who began his reign by seeking God first.
1Ki 3:9-13 “Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies, 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!”13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.”
Although Solomon, sought God first, He failed to keep Him first; God cautioned, don’t allow your wisdom to make you too proud, careless, or presumptuous. You must keep me first. If you going to receive God highest reward, you must seek him first and keep Him first. Jesus gives us the surest path to great reward. After celebrating His birth and getting ready to embrace a new year, choose to put God first and keep Him first. The songwriter, Simon K. Marak, an Indian pastor said it best in his hymn, “I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow, Tho' none go with me I still will follow, Tho' none go with me, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; the world behind me, the cross before me; the world behind me, the cross before me; no turning back, no turning back. No turning…”
