Series: Learning From The Master – A Plan to Live By
All Eyes Are On You
INTRO: we are continuing with our series, Learning From The Master – A Plan To Live By. You know we really need to have something in mind with what we do every day. Today we are going to look at Matthew 6. Christ dealt with how we help others, how we pray, how we fast, how we treat money, and how to handle worry. All these in the same chapter today.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Nobody likes a show-off?”
Well I think this is an untrue statement – the show-off likes the show-off.
Lets look at the first four verses in Matthew 6…
Matthew 6:1-4(NKJV) 1“Take
heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.
Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet
before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know
what your right hand is doing,
4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
We all know there are times that giving is really good. We all probably enjoy helping someone when there are in a real and obvious place of need. At the same time we all do not like to be taken advantage of in our generosity. Jesus saw the need for us to do good deeds for those around us.
Not to be seen by others – 1
Not to be heard – 2
Not to be noticed – 3
Not to be known a the secret giver of silent helper - 3
Only seen by God and rewarded as He desires – 4
Every year there are Krugerrands that find their way into the Salvation Army’s collection kettles.
I wonder if they have been there by mistake
Unlikely – slightly larger and thicker than a half-dollar (which no one hardly carries)
Matthew 6:5-8(NKJV) 5“And when
you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by
men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut
your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.
For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things
you have need of before you ask Him.
Jesus further instructs…
Don’t show off when talking to God – 5-14
Unless that is all you want– 5e-5f
Not to be heard by others – 6
Not to be repetitive and lengthy (for notice) - 7
Not to be a copy-cat operation - 8
Matthew 6:9-15(NKJV) 9In this
manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in
heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil
one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
He deserves your acknowledgment of His sovereignty – 9
He wants our obedience – 10
He watches over us – 11
He forgives our shortcomings – 12
He helps us forgive others (not easy at times)
He helps us stay close to Him - 13
Let us remember we serve a great God that changes our lives so we can forgive others of their shortcoming towards us as well – 14-15
Most people don’t totally do this – they play around the edges.
Jesus gave us another directive…
Don’t be a show-off when it comes to religious fasting – 16-18
Matthew 6:16-18(NKJV) 16“Moreover,
when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they
disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I
say to you, they have their reward.
17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father
who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you openly.
Not to look sad and hungry – 16
Not to change your routine - 17
Not to bring attention to yourself – 17-18
Do fast with the Lord and His ways in mind - 18
His presence and attention are good
So we have seen Jesus deal with being a show-off. Now He turns His attention to two more matters we are going to look at today – money and worry. I think both of these deal with our trusting God.
I am going to be very careful when I say this. We should not cling to our money, but to God and His ways. Most of us worry about having enough money when Jesus taught just the opposite.
So we see…
Jesus brings forth a warning about MONEY – 19-24
Matthew 6:19-24(NKJV) 19“Do not
lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal;
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good,
your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that
darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon is a term we do not use in our society today. It means wealth or greed. We might say, you cannot serve God and Wall Street. Not that one could not work there and serve the Lord, but if we allow money and all that it entails to overcome our lives, we will not serve God, but the money system.
Jesus teaches us…
People get off track where money is involved – 21
Money has a way of “poisoning” people – 22-23
Fosters corruption, selfishness, dishonesty, etc.
Clouds our “vision” for godly things
Serving God and mammon do not mix – 24
Real treasures are heavenly treasures – 20
We need to choose the right master - 24
Jesus goes ahead and deals with another subject…
Matthew 6:25-34(NKJV) 25“Therefore
I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food
and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more
value than they?
27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these.
30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe
you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly
Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
First, we do not know for sure what to worry about – 25
God takes care of even the most smallest of things – 26
We cannot change things by worrying – 27
I think we make things worse…
It cripples our body, mind and soul (health and spiritual issues)
It consumes, clouds and affects our judgment
It creates havoc in our everyday life
It corrupts those around us as well
Lillies are cared for and protected by God (with His great touch) – 28-29
We are more important to God than the little things He takes care of well - 30
Have faith and trust in God - 30
He knows all your needs – 32
Seek God first and let Him help with your needs – 33
Let God handle your tomorrows - 34
I am not saying we should not have concerns. We step over the line when we worry too much. Concerns cause us to consider the cost of things and work to do well for the Lord. Worry hurts us to the point we fail to serve God because we worry about things instead of drawing close to Him. We just do not trust God enough in our lives.
Spend time helping others
Pray to God
Fast for closeness to God and His direction
But most of all…
DON’T BE A RELIGIOUS SHOW-OFF
Don’t be greedy
Leave your worrying behind
Seek the kingdom of God first in our lives – He will do the rest
If we spent one tenth as much time trusting and following Him that we do trying to gain wealth and worrying about things we should be trusting Him for, we could change our homes, neighborhoods, cities, country and world.
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 080110am