Go! And Live for an Audience of One: The Secret Life of a True Disciple - Matthew 6:1-18
Introduction: Living for the Audience of One
There’s an old story about a young violinist who practised day and night for years. One evening, he gave a recital in a packed concert hall. When he finished, the crowd erupted in applause—everyone stood except one elderly man in the front row. The young musician bowed but then looked straight at that one man and smiled. Later, a friend asked him, “Why did you focus on him? Everyone else was cheering!” The young violinist replied, “That man is my teacher. If he is pleased, that is all that matters.”
In the Christian life, there is only one audience that matters—our Heavenly Father.
In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us to live for the Audience of One. He warns us not to perform righteousness before others but to pursue a life that pleases God alone.
Matthew 6:1–18 (NLT):
“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. 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. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
“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. 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.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
“Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
1. The Call to Authentic Devotion (Matthew 6:1)
“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.” (Matthew 6:1, NLT)
Jesus begins with a warning — “Watch out!”
The Greek phrase prosechete (p??s??ete) means “Be careful!” or “Take heed!” — a flashing red light of spiritual danger. The danger is subtle: doing good things for wrong reasons.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were known for public displays of religion. Their giving, praying, and fasting looked holy—but it was all performance. Jesus calls them hypokrites (?p????t??)—actors wearing masks of holiness while hiding prideful hearts.
In our age of social media, it’s easy to live for likes instead of love. We can post our charity, our worship, our service online. Jesus isn’t condemning public acts but wrong motives. God desires authenticity, not applause.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) — “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) — “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.”
Charles Spurgeon once said, “The moment we begin to serve God for the sake of how it looks, we cease to serve God and begin to serve ourselves.”
John Piper writes, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
When our satisfaction is in God alone, we stop craving human applause and start living for His pleasure.
2. Giving in Secret: Generosity that Glorifies God (Matthew 6:2–4)
“When you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3, NLT)
Jesus assumes His followers will give. The issue isn’t whether we give, but why we give.
The Greek word for “reward” — misthos (µ?s???) — means “wages or payment.” If we seek human praise, that is our full payment. But when we give for God’s glory, He becomes our reward.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT) — “You must each decide in your heart how much to give… For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
Proverbs 19:17 (NLT) — “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!”
True generosity flows from gratitude. We give because Christ first gave Himself for us (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Our giving should whisper, not shout. Like Jesus, who gave His life quietly on a cross—not for applause, but for love.
Max Lucado said, “When grace happens, generosity happens.”
When we grasp grace, we give freely—out of worship, not obligation.
3. Prayer in Secret: Communion with the Father (Matthew 6:5–15)
Jesus contrasts two ways to pray: one seeks attention, the other seeks intimacy.
He says, “When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door, and pray to your Father in private.”
The Aramaic term for “Father” — Abba — expresses intimacy, trust, and belonging. Jesus invites us into the same closeness He shares with the Father.
In the first century, public prayers were often long and loud to display piety. Jesus turns that upside down. The most powerful prayers are often whispered from the heart.
Psalm 34:18 (NLT) — “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT) — “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”
James 5:16 (NLT) — “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
God delights in honest prayer. You don’t need impressive words—just an honest heart. Jesus’ model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, is not a script to recite mindlessly but a structure for sincere relationship.
Tim Keller wrote, “Prayer is the only entryway into genuine self-knowledge… It is also the main way we experience deep change.”
Prayer doesn’t just move God—it transforms us.
Think of prayer like Wi-Fi. You can’t see it, but it connects you directly to the Source. There’s no signal loss with God. When you pray, you are instantly in His presence.
Forgiveness Connection
Jesus ends this section by linking forgiveness with faith. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Unforgiveness blocks the flow of grace. True disciples forgive as they have been forgiven.
4. Fasting in Secret: Hungering for God Alone (Matthew 6:16–18)
Fasting is often misunderstood. In Jesus’ day, religious leaders made it obvious—dishevelled hair, gloomy faces, false humility. Jesus says, “Comb your hair and wash your face.” In other words: Look normal! Fasting is for the Father’s eyes alone.
The Greek nesteuo (??ste??) means “to abstain.” True fasting means saying “no” to something good to say “yes” to something greater—deeper fellowship with God.
Joel 2:12 (NLT) — “Return to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
Acts 13:2 (NLT) — “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…”
Fasting is not about earning God’s attention—it’s about giving Him yours. It sharpens our spiritual hunger and makes us more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
R.T. Kendall wrote, “The degree to which we hunger for God will determine the degree to which He reveals Himself to us.”
Fasting is not deprivation; it’s preparation for divine revelation.
5. The Heart of the Passage: Relationship over Religion
Across giving, praying, and fasting, one phrase repeats:
“Your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18)
This is the heartbeat of true discipleship. God is not impressed by religious performance; He is moved by genuine relationship.
Religion seeks to earn God’s approval. Relationship receives God’s love through Christ’s finished work.
Every act of private devotion flows from grace—not from guilt.
Romans 8:15 (NLT) — “Now you call him, ‘Abba, Father.’”
John 4:23 (NLT) — “The Father is looking for those who will worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Charles Stanley said, “Intimacy with God is the purpose of our existence.”
All spiritual disciplines—giving, praying, fasting—are pathways to knowing Him more deeply.
6. The Gospel Connection: Jesus, the True Example
Everything Jesus teaches in Matthew 6, He embodied perfectly.
He gave—laying down His life as a ransom for many.
He prayed—interceding even from the cross, “Father, forgive them.”
He fasted—denying comfort to fulfil the Father’s mission.
The Gospel is not “Do more.” It is “Jesus did it all.”
Our acts of righteousness flow from His righteousness in us.
Romans 10:9 declares: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Invitation to Salvation:
Perhaps today, you realise you’ve been performing religion instead of pursuing relationship. Jesus didn’t die to make you religious—He died to make you righteous.
Turn from self and trust in Him today.
Say, “Jesus, I repent of my sin. I trust You as my Saviour and Lord.”
He will forgive, cleanse, and give you new life.
Conclusion: The Secret Life of a True Disciple
The world celebrates what is public. God rewards what is private.
He sees the secret prayer, the hidden generosity, the unseen sacrifice.
And one day, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
So—
Go! And live for the Audience of One.
Go! And give quietly.
Go! And pray sincerely.
Go! And fast joyfully.
Go! And love deeply.
Your Father sees. Your Father knows. Your Father rewards.
Benediction:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May your hidden life of devotion shine brightly in heaven’s eyes.
May you live each day for the glory of your Audience of One—
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
