PRAYER: IT IS OUR LITTLE SECRET
MATTHEW 6: 1-13
NOVEMBER 7, 2004
INTRODUCTION: From the final scene of "Shrek":
Fiona: "I was supposed to be beautiful"
Shrek: "But you are beautiful"
YOU SEE, FIONA HAD A LITTLE SECRET. AT NIGHT THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS BECAME AN ORGERESS.
Unconditional love. It’s the deepest longing of our hearts, because each of us harbors deep inside the fear that if others really knew us, that they would want nothing to do with us. We like Fiona try to hide when we should be hiding.
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our text for today shares a secret with us about secrets. Jesus teaches us that some things are best kept as secrets. Our only problem is that keeping secrets takes lots of self-discipline and too often we just do not have it. Today, as we dig into this little secret, we are going to begin on a journey that I call REAL. You may have noticed REAL in our new directory, or in our newsletter, and hopefully last week in our bulletin. I really believe it is time that CHWC got real. The first letter in real is all about relationships and if you can’t keep a secret, you can’t have a very good relationship. Let’s look together and see what Jesus can teach us about relationship and secrets!
THESIS SENTENCE: OUR FATHER HAS A SECRET AND IT IS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!
I. OUR LITTLE SECRET IS OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE V. 1&5
A. THE PUBLIC EYE IS CARELESS
B. THE PUBLIC EYE IS ABOUT MEN
C. THE PUBLIC EYE IS 15 MINUTES OF FAME/ NOT ETERNAL: NO REWARD!
ILLUSTRATION: FEAR FACTOR ET AL.
TRUTH: WE WILL NEVER IMPRESS EVERYONE!
QUESTION: WHOM DO WE WANT TO IMPRESS?
II. OUR LITTLE SECRET IS NO ACT VV. 2&5
A. NO ACT IS WITHOUT FANFARE: ANNOUNCE IT WITH TRUMPETS!
B. NO ACT IS WITHOUT HYPOCROCY: AN ACTOR WHO PORTRAYS ANOTHER, NOT THEMSELVES!
ILLUSTRATION: SEE PRINTED PAGE ON HYPOCRISY
TRUTH: WE CAN PRETEND TO BE ANYONE WE WANT, BUT GOD KNOWS WHO WE ARE!
QUESTION: DO WE KNOW IF WE ARE ACTING OR BEING REAL?
III. OUR LITTLE SECRET IS A CLOSED DOOR MATTER VV. 6&3
A. A CLOSED DOOR MATTER IS ALL ALONE
B. A CLOSED DOOR MATTER IS ALL ABOUT THE FATHER
C. A CLOSED DOOR MATTER IS A MATTER OF FAITH: HEBREWS 11:1 D. A CLOSED DOOR MATTER IS A MATTER OF REWARD: WHY NOT?
ILLUSTRATION: SIGN FOR THE BATHROOM DOOR
Attention Everyone: The Bathroom Door is Closed!
Please do not stand there and talk, whine or ask questions.
Wait until I get out.
Yes, it is locked. I want it that way.
No, it is not broken; I am not trapped.
I know I have left it unlocked, and even open at times, since you were born,because I was afraid some horrible tragedy might occur while I was in there.
But it’s been ten years, and I want some privacy.
Do not ask me how long I will be.
I will come out when I am done.
Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.
Do not go running back to the phone yelling, “She’s in the bathroom!”
Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.
Do not stick your little fingers under the door and wiggle them.
This was funny only when you were two.
Do not slide pennies, Legos, or notes under the door,
Even when you were two, this got a little tiresome.
If you have followed me down the hall, talking,
And are still talking as you face this closed door,
Please turn around, walk away and wait for me in another room.
I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.
Oh…and yes, I still love you. Mom
SOURCE: Espresso for a Woman’s Spirit by Pam Vredevelt.
Contributed by: Kenneth Squires
TRUTH: OUR FATHER WANTS TO BE ALONE WITH US!
QUESTION: DO WE WANT TO BE ALONE WITH OUR FATHER?
IV. OUR LITTLE SECRET HAS NO FORMULA V. 7
A. NO FORMULA IS ABOUT A PLAN: BABBLING
B. NO FORMULA IS ABOUT A DEMAND: THEY WILL BE HEARD
C. NO FORMULA IS ABOUT QUANTITY: MANY WORDS
SCRIPTURE THOUGHT: I KINGS 18:26-29
ILLUSTRATION: ACCIDENTAL BRAVERY
One dark night outside a small town, a fire started inside the local chemical plant. Before long it exploded into flames and an alarm went out to fire departments from miles around. After fighting the fire for over an hour, the chemical company president approached the fire chief and said, "All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved! I will give $50,000 to the engine company that brings them out safely!"
As soon as the chief heard this, he ordered the firemen to strengthen their attack on the blaze. After two more hours of attacking the fire, the president of the company offered $100,000 to the engine company that could bring out the company’s secret files.
From the distance, a long siren was heard and another fire truck came into sight. It was a local volunteer fire company composed entirely of men over 65. To everyone’s amazement, the little fire engine raced through the chemical plant gates and drove straight into the middle of the inferno.
In the distance the other firemen watched as the old timers hopped off of their rig and began to fight the fire with an effort that they had never seen before. After an hour of intense fighting, the volunteer company had extinguished the fire and saved the secret formulas.
Joyous, the chemical company president announced that he would double the reward to $200,000 and walked over to personally thank each of the volunteers. After thanking each of the old men individually, the president asked the group what they intended to do with the reward money. The fire truck driver looked him right in the eye and said, "The first thing we’re going to do is fix the brakes on that truck!"
Contributed by: Gregory Dawson
TRUTH: OUR FATHER HEARS OUR PRAYERS WITHOUT BEING MANIPULATED!
QUESTION: DO WE TRY TO MANIPULATE OUR FATHER?
V. OUR LITTLE SECRET IS A MATTER OF TRUST V. 8, 4, &6
A. A MATTER OF TRUST IS NOT PAGAN
B. A MATTER OF TRUST IS OUR FATHER KNOWS
C. A MATTER OF TRUST IS A MATTER OF NEED
ILLUSTRATION: Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.”
— Oswald Chambers
Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO
TRUTH: OUR FATHER KNOWS OUR NEEDS, SO WE CAN TRUST HIM IN PRAYER!
QUESTION: DID WE EVER THINK OUR FATHER DID NOT KNOW?
CONCLUSION: OUR LITTLE SECRET IS ALL ABOUT GETTING REAL AND GETTING REAL IS ALL ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUR FATHER. INTAMACY IS THE KEY WORD HERE. INTAMACY IS ABOUT KNOWING SOMEONE AT A LEVEL FAR BELOW THE SURFACE. INTAMACY IS ALLOWING SOMEONE TO KNOW US FAR BELOW THE SURFACE. JESUS SAID TO QUITE IMPRESSING THE WRONG CROWD AND TO GET TO KNOW HIS FATHER. FOR WHEN YOU KNOW THE FATHER, HE WILL REWARD YOU! WILL YOU SPEND SOME TIME IN SECRETE THIS WEEK?
BENEDICTION: II CORINTHIANS 13:14
