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The God-connected life

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Today: Matthew 6:1-18

Past few weeks looking at sermon on the mount

There’s a pattern here! In ch 6 Jesus says the same again a different way – actions without genuineness of heart are valueless.

The big message – showing off robs you of the father’s reward

Matthew 6:6 ‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven

It’s a stark message!

So how does this work out?

When you give

Jesus assumes we do!

Jesus says “don’t be like them …”

don’t be ostentatious

So what had happened? A. Pharisees were being exhibitionists – especially about their giving

Long history of people bringing their gifts to God – and God blesses them as a result

e.g. widow’s mite >>>

In the incident of the widow’s mite that exactly the comparison Jesus makes “They do it to show off – she did it out of love for her heavenly father – out of sacrifice.”

do be generous

Penetrating word in Malachi

8 ‘Will a mere mortal rob God? [of course we can’t – he owns everything!] BUT you rob me. ‘But you ask, “How are we robbing you?”

‘In tithes and offerings.

These tithes (1/10) and offerings (for saying thank you and for remission of sin.

9 You are under a curse – your whole nation – because you are robbing me. [strong stuff!]

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

Reference to food here because the priests were entitled to be provided for by the giving of God’s people

Then God says something that blows me away

Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty,

do an experiment – try it out!

‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Other benefits will accrue too …

11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,’ says the Lord Almighty. 12 ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty.

This is a good moment to talk about giving to Victoria – see news sheet. Etc

When you pray

Jesus assumes we do!

Same idea “don’t be like them!”

Don’t be an exhibitionist

standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.

Someone walking by says ‘oH look at him – what a spiritual man – how guilt-inducingly religious’

Jesus makes the point “that reaction is their reward – and it’s their total reward – they will not receive any more from their heavenly father”

Is this because it’s only what is done in secret that counts? We could easily conclude that.

It was the publicity that was the problem.

The outward actions were intended to convey one thing (I’m very spiritual) when in reality the opposite was the case.

Their motive – to be seen by by people

IN this respect what Jesus is telling us here is exactly the same as the previous chapter – The inner heart attiude is vital to being a Christ-follower.

Don’t be a babbler

7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

These people haven’t spotted the difference between quality and quantity! “Pray for an hour”, they assume “and God is much more likely to hear you than if you pray for a minute!”

They think that they can compel God to work because of their long, flowery praying. Their literary allusions and their theological vocabulary – all designed to impress God! (and everyone listening) So Jesus asserts that it just doesn’t work like that. It’s not just the number of words that we use (and words are vital) but the attitude of heart that lies behind the words that gets our heavenly father pricking up his ears.

There’s another truth behind this: It’s not just that they are trying to impress God, the babblers’ motive seems to be forcing God’s hand. If I pray long enough, God must hear me, he is compelled to do so, and must respond.

However, if we could force God to act by using many words, we would be his controllers, and he wouldn’t be God any more! This is an implicit denial of who God is!

So Jesus says:

8 Do not be like them,

And then an astonishing thing:

8 … for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So there are some occasions when you don’t have to us words at all! Your heavenly Father sees and hears the cry of your heart.

So how, then, should we pray?

Do it like this

While it’s enormously valuable to say the Lord’s prayer, I don’t believe Jesus intended us to use it parrot fashion!

These are headlines that he gave us to expand for ourselves to make our praying personal.

Who our father is

‘“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

How we’d like him to act

10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer for physical provision

11 Give us today our daily bread.

Notice it’s only the basics >>>

prayer for spiritual provision

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Prayer for protection

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Notice how it’s centered on God

All this is under the umbrella of the very first line – Jesus says we should pray to OUR father,

Now we know that Jesus own relationship with his heavenly father was something unique and it would be easy for me to conclude “well Jesus was Jesus and I’m me and we are so different that of course he would be closer to God that me”

but actually this expression is telling us something very different – very wonderful

Our communication with God, our heavenly father, is intended to be no less deep and real as Jesus’ communication was!

Jesus – a chip off the old block

Jesus says that God is our FATHER

So in what sense is God our Father?

I’m a son of my father

Some of us had very wonderful fathers – others had very poor fathers

God is the very best of fathers and one thing he desires that I believe is top of his wish list is closeness with his children.

Genuine, unforced intimacy – listen …

Rom 8:15-18

15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs– heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

I read this incident in Richard Foster:

“I was once called to a home of a seriously ill baby girl. Her four year old brother was in the room and so I told him I needed his help to pray for his baby sister. He was delighted and so was I since I know that children can often pray with unusual effectiveness. He climbed up into the chair beside me. “Let’s play a little game,” I said. “Since we know that Jesus is always with us, let’s imagine that He is sitting over in that chair across from us. He is waiting patiently for us to centre our attention of him. When we see him, we start thinking more about his love and how sick Julie is. He smiles, gets up, and comes over to us. Then, let’s both put our hands on Julie and when we do, Jesus will put his hands on top of ours. We’ll watch and imagine that the light from Jesus is flowing right into your little sister and making her well. Let’s pretend that the light of Christ fights with the bad germs until they’re all gone. OK?” Seriously the little one nodded. Together we prayed in this childlike way and then thanked the Lord that what we ‘saw’ was the way it was going to be. Now I don’t know whether this created a posthypnotic suggestion in the child or whether it was divine fiat, but I do know that the next morning Julie was perfectly well.”

When you fast

When, not if

16 ‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have [already] received their reward in full.

Same message as before – if we do spiritual disciplines just to be seen by ogther people, the act of being seen is all the reward we’re going to get. Done. Finished

But if being seen is not the motive, If God’s glory is the true motive (as best we can make it so) then things start happening.

17 So when you fast, [get dressed in the morning, have a shower as usual, shave (or put on your make-up) as usual ], 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

WHEN IS FASTING APPROPRIATE?

a) times of urgent national need

2Chronicles 20 tells of a time when the people of Israel were in desperate need. They faced with a military threat and King Jehoshaphat calls the nation to prayer and fasting

2Chronicles 20:3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

notice it was corporate (even included children) >>>

14. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, as he stood in the assembly. He said, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: `Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

The the Lord reveals to him a military strategy which brought them the victory

In 1756 the King of Britain called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of the threatened invasion by the French. John Wesley’s journal for Feb 6th:

“The fast day was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God hears prayer – and there will be a lengthening of our tranquillity.

In a footnote , inserted later, he wrote

Humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion by the French was averted.

b) times of urgent personal prayer

Nehemiah is a classic example. He heard news that rocked him! His home city in ruins – people scattered. God’s reputation was at stake!

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Actually – 4 months.

c) when we hit a spiritual blockage

Disciples couldn’t cast out a demon

Matthew 17:18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. – this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Jesus actively engages in prayer and fasting.

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