That is, our motives are what MOTIVATE us to do the things we do.
But there are two kinds of MOTIVES:
(1) Good motives
(2) Bad motives
Motives matter and they matter to God.
God doesn’t just desire us to do the right thing but to do it with the right attitude.
Illus: For example, it use to be many churches gave out PERFECT ATTENDANCE PINS you could wear showing how many years you had perfect attendance.
Some folks wore these pins on their clothing showing they have PERFECT ATTENDANCE for so many years.
It is commendable that some had years of PERFECT ATTENDANCE.
But suppose a person had earned a 10 year PERFECT ATTENDANCE PIN and they were excited about standing before the Lord and Him rewarding them for 10 YEARS OF PERFECT ATTENDANCE.
But did you know if they did not attend for the RIGHT MOTIVE they will not receive a REWARD!!!
• The same thing applies to our GIVING!!!
• You can tithe for 50years but receive NO REWARDS!!!
The Lord Jesus dealt with three things in the life of the Pharisees concerning…
1) GOOD DEEDS
2) GIVING
3) PRAYERS
They did these things primarily to make people think they were something they were not.
Illus: They were likes some of these actors in Hollywood who will dress up like a cowboy to make everyone think they were a cowboy. THIS IS WHY WE CALL THEM ACTORS.
God’s Word has another name for them…HYPOCRITES!!!
Illus: We often accuse our politicians of being great actors. They can look straight at the television camera and tell a lie making you believe something they know is a lie.
But the best actors on the face of the earth are not in Hollywood …The best actors are in the church.
• They can say something and they know it is not the truth, but they can convince you it is the truth.
• They can do things to make you think they love the Lord but it only a front of fooling people.
When Hollywood past out the OSCAR AWARD each year they give them to the wrong people.
I have seen people who profess to be saved that can make Hollywood actors look like amateurs.
• When someone does something for us, we focus in on the deed
• When you do something for the Lord, He focuses in on the motive behind the deed
The toughest rebukes in the Bible were given by the Lord Jesus to the Pharisees and Scribes, who were KNOWN FOR THEIR ACTING ABILITY.
Notice-
I. THEY GAVE ALMS WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE
Look at Matthew 6:1, 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 in heaven.”
The word “Alms” is the word “Eleemosune” (Pronounced as El-eh-ay-mos-oo'-nay) which means deeds.
The reason we do good deeds should be because of our love for the Lord Jesus, NOT TO BE SEEN BY PEOPLE!
We have to be very cautious when it comes to GOOD DEEDS because of two reasons:
(1) We can do GOOD DEEDS for the WRONG REASON!
But also when it comes to GOOD DEEDS…
• Satan knows he can not get some folks to do BAD DEEDS,
• But he knows HE CAN GET PEOPLE TO DO GOOD DEEDS FOR THE WRONG MOTIVE.
But when it comes to doing GOOD DEEDS there is something else we have to be CAUTIOUS about.
That is, we can get so busy doing GOOD DEEDS, and we will not have time to do GREATER DEEDS!
There are times when we simply must say “No” to doing GOOD DEEDS, because we know of another GREATER DEED that would be more beneficial to the Lord’s church.
We need to be SELECTIVE in the GOOD DEEDS we choose to do.
Saying “No” is essential to achieving your personal goals.
It actually frees you to say “Yes” to the things that really matter. It is essential to making the best choices.
Illus: Someone said, “There is a world of difference between knowing what you do not want to do and refusing to do it, and knowing what you want to do and doing it.”
We should be very selective in our DEEDS, but we should never do them FOR THE WRONG MOTIVE.
The Pharisees that the Lord had to deal with did many GOOD DEEDS, but they did them for the WRONG REASON!
WHY DID THE PHRISEES DO THESE GOOD DEEDS?
The Lord said THEY DID IT TO BE SEEN OF MEN, and the Lord said this was THEIR REWARD. (Paid in full)
When they get to heaven (if they were saved) they will not have any rewards, because they did things for the wrong reason, TO BE SEEN OF MEN!
IS THE LORD TEACHING THAT WE SHOULD DO ALL OF OUR GOOD DEEDS IN PRIVACY?
The Lord is NOT teaching us that we should do all of our GOOD DEEDS in privacy.
Absolutely not!!!
Why?
In fact, in Matthew 5:16, we read, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
It is essential that we have people doing GOOD DEEDS publicly.
• Every day, we see people doing EVIL DEEDS because they are servants of Satan
• Every day, it is important that the world see Christians doing GOOD DEEDS, because they love the Lord and they are His servants
These Pharisees DID ALMS WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE and the Lord came down on them hard.
But also-
II. THEY GAVE WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE
The Pharisees knew that GIVING reflected spirituality, and they used their giving as a display of spirituality.
Many today are motivated to GIVE as a means of displaying their spirituality!
Illus: Have you ever attended an old timey holiness church.
The women in these churches displayed their spirituality by who could stack their hair on their head the tallest. I am sure some must be in the Guinness world book of record.
Many displayed their spirituality by their giving to be seen of men.
Illus: After September 11, when the terrorists struck the Trade Towers in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, the American people began to send millions of dollars to the Red Cross and other organizations to help the victims of these families who were killed. This was commendable!
Then we were told that many of the movie actors, actresses and entertainers were going to GIVE their time and talent to raise millions for these victim’s families. We heard of their plans and we thought this was commendable!
They set a day to do a national television program, and they raised millions of dollars and gave it to the Red Cross.
Then came the problem. The families began to reveal that the money was not being given to those in need.
In fact:
• Some of the money was being used for other projects
• Some of the money was transferred to other accounts
Bill O’Reilly, the host of “The Factor” on the Fox News Channel, tried to get these celebrities to appear on his program to explain why the victims were not receiving the money that was raised on their behalf. But these celebrities would not appear.
The question was repeatedly asked, “If they gave their TIME and TALENTS to raise money for these victims' families, why wouldn’t they show their outrage, and demand that the money be given to the victims' families who desperately needed the money?”
In other words, did they GIVE?
• Because they truly cared about the victims
• Because they got national recognition that made them look like they
Cared
DID THEY GIVE FOR THE WRONG REASON?
We will never know, but God knows exactly why they gave their TIME and TALENTS to raise this money.
These Pharisees were GIVING for the WRONG MOTIVE!
Illus: Herchel Hobbs said, “To the Jews, Alms-giving was the greatest act of righteousness. But even a good thing can be done in the wrong way and for the wrong purpose. There were and are those who want to make good deeds a show of personal piety. Jesus calls them hypocrites.”
Illus: Barclay, (The Gospel of Matthew, 187) tells of a certain rich man who paid a water seller to give drinks to the poor. The seller called for the poor to come and get the free water. However, as the poor came for the water, the rich man stood off to the side of the seller saying, “Bless me, who gave you this drink.”
People give for all kinds of reasons.
People give for all kinds of reasons. Giving is a GOOD DEED but we can do it for the WRONG REASON.
From what the Scripture teaches us, these Pharisees would actually blow on a trumpet to make sure they had everyone’s attention before they dropped any money in the offering
Some of the liberals say that they did not actually blow a trumpet, that this was metaphorical.
Look at the scriptures and you decide.
Look at Matthew 6:2-4, we read, “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
I do not know why the liberals have a hard time believing the Word of God.
The Lord not only said they DID THIS, but He also said, “They have their reward” for doing this.
In other words, when they gave for the wrong reason, to be seen by man, God stamped that deed “Paid-in-Full”.
Is the Lord teaching that all our giving should be done in private?
No, remember He is dealing with GOOD and BAD MOTIVES.
But the Lord said giving should be done in such a way that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing.
Illus: We certainly should not reach into our pockets with one hand and raise the other hand to get peoples attention as to what we are doing.
The New Testament churches collected public offerings, practically the same way we do. There is nothing wrong with that. But we have to do every thing we do for the RIGHT MOTIVE.
• They did GOOD DEEDS with the WRONG MOTIVE
• They GAVE with the WRONG MOTIVE
But if that was not enough -
III. THEY PRAYED WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE
Look at verses 5-6, we read, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
Illus: Now the Lord is not teaching we should enter our closet where we have our clothes hanging.
Humor: You better pray when you enter some closet because as soon as you open the door an avalanche takes place.
When the Lord talks about a PRAYER CLOSET….
Some have taken the admonition literally. They set aside a room or a quiet corner in their homes, furnish it with a comfortable chair, table, Bible, and maybe a notebook, and use that corner for a regular prayer time.
That’s certainly appropriate, but a “prayer closet” might be a bench in the back yard, or the kitchen table.
Illus: John Wesley’s mother is said to have sat in a chair and threw her apron over her head as a sign to her kids to leave her alone.
Illus: Jesus usually went to a secluded hillside.
The point is that the “Prayer closet” is free from interruption, distraction, and listening ears.
I want to make a statement, and I want you to listen very closely. The statement is, Satan does not care if you pray twenty-four hours a day! (If you pray with the wrong motive.)
Remember when people PRAY with the wrong motive, they are PLAY ACTING.
• They are making people think they are talking to God, but in all actuality, they are talking to the people around them
• The words they speak are not being addressed to God but to the people around them
More of this PLAY ACTING is done today in churches than you can imagine.
Nothing is sacred to the devil, and he will use people to pray for the WRONG MOTIVE over and over again.
SO, WAS THE LORD TEACHING AGAINST PRAYING IN PUBLIC PLACES?
Absolutely not! Remember this passage is not teaching against
• DOING GOOD DEEDS
• GIVING
• PRAYING
This passage is dealing with the fact that we can DO ALL THESE THINGS, but we can do them with the WRONG MOTIVE!
Notice, when the Lord was addressing this crowd, he suggested they go into their closets, shut the door and pray to their Father in heaven.
WHY DID HE SUGGEST THIS TO THEM?
Because the only time these people who PLAY ACT and pray, was in public to be seen and heard of men.
• In their private life they do not have time to talk to God BECAUSE they have better things to do.
• In their public life they PRAY
They use prayer as a means of drawing attention to themselves, but they also use LONG prayers to draw attention to themselves.
Look at verses 7-8, we read, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Illus: You ever listen to someone when they are talking to you and they keep repeating the same thing over and over again? You want to grab them and say, I’VE GOT IT! I’VE GOT IT!
When it comes to prayer, Christ is not into vain or useless repetitions.
These Pharisees had long repetitious prayers. And the Bible tells us the reason they do this was to be seen and heard by others in ear shot of their prayers.
Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Notice, they used repetitious prayers to gain attention.
Why?
Because they were of the persuasion that the longer you pray the more spiritual you are.
Illus: Listen, when you are praying and you start to repeat yourself over and over again that prayer has come to COMPLETION.
The Lord tells us we should PRAY WITHOUT CEASING but He does not tell how long our prayers should be.
The Lord is not teaching that we should not pray publicly, but He is teaching against praying with the WRONG MOTIVE!
When I stand before the Lord I certainly do not want to stand before Him and have all my rewards burned because I had the wrong motive.
This is why I pray often God help me to have the right motive for two reasons.
(1) Because I love the Lord
(2) Because of my eternal rewards
Illus: If someone gives us a thousand dollars, often we do not care what the motive for their giving is. To us, the MONEY is more important than the MOTIVE.
God is not impressed by the money, no matter how large the amount may be. He is pleased when the MOTIVE IS RIGHT.
Illus: Let me ask you something. Suppose at Valentine’s Day someone bought you a beautiful valentine. He had the money to spare so he bought you the most expensive valentine gift available.
Then suppose a child who did not have any money came along and gave you a valentine that he had made out of a piece of paper with his own little hands, and wrote “I LOVE YOU” on it.
Which of the two valentines would mean the most to you? The one that the child gave or the one from the person who spent the most, but who had plenty left?
I’m sure everyone here would agree that the one from the child, who had no money, meant the most because he gave all he had and it came from a heart of love.
God is pleased when people are motivated by love.
Illus: A young, smart-alec cowboy was riding his horse one day and saw an old man on a mule.
The young cowboy decided to have a little fun, so he drew his 6-shooter and told the old man
To get off the mule and dance! He said to the old man, "Have you ever danced?"
Then he began to empty his revolver near the feet of the old man, laughing while he danced!
* After a few minutes, the cowboy ran out of bullets!
* The old man wiped his brow, then slowly reached into his belongings and pulled out huge
Loaded shot gun.
He points the shot gun at the young cowboy and says, "Young man, have you ever kissed a mule?"
D) The young cowboy said, "No, but I’ve always wanted to!"
That’s motivation!
Conclusion:
The Lord was dealing with these “Hypocrites” who were play acting. Everything they did was to be seen by mankind.
How tragic it will be, when some stand before the Lord Jesus and all their works will be burned as by fire, because they did them for the wrong reason.
Illus: Many of us older pastors have preached thousands of sermons through the decades of their ministry, but if we did not do it for the RIGHT REASON WE WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY REWARDS!
Look at 1 Cor. 3:13-15, we read, “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
I. THEY DID ALMS WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE
II. THEY PRAYED WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE
