Sunday Sermon Matthew 6:1-4

“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. Therefore, 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. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Prayer

Lord Heavenly Father, thank you that we can freely worship you in Spirit and in Truth and it is your Truth Lord, that makes people free. As we open Matthew 6 today, would you fill us with your Spirit and teach us the truths that you want us to practically apply in our lives. God help us, to be hearers and doers of your Word and to be steadfast immovable always abounding in your Work. For your Glory, honor, and Praise!

In Jesus Name, We Love You! Amen and Amen!

Review

The Russian author Turgenev wrote, “I do not know what the heart of a bad man is like, but I do know what the heart of a good man is like, and it is terrible.”

Church, the Sermon on the Mount exposes the state of the heart of the believer. First, the Beatitudes (vv. 3–12) provide us with a description of the ideal character of the true believer.

Then after two convicting metaphors (vv. 13–16) we are given six illustrations of the surpassing righteousness to which we are called (vv. 20–48), a righteousness that supersedes and fulfills that of the scribes and Pharisees—and indeed that of the Old Testament. This exposé of the heart brings us to an honest admission of what we really are, and it is not a pretty picture.

However, that is ultimately good because seeing ourselves as we are opens us up to God’s grace. That is precisely the significance of the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5:3). When we see our spiritual wretchedness, we are candidates for God’s amazing grace and transformative power.

The Sermon on The Mount, the Mount being the north-side of the Sea of Galilee, exposes our hearts and the wretchedness within us and points us to Jesus, but it also defines who we are in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So we move from going the second mile and loving our enemies, to giving.

Matthew 6:1 NKJV

“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.

There are some of us here that might be thinking, “Are you serious Jesus!” Are you going to preach on giving?

That’s exactly what Jesus is going to do, so let’s dive in and see what He has in store for us today.

When we look at the Word God regarding giving two paths emerge and Jesus’ disciples are to partake in them both:

Giving in the Church through tithes and offerings.

Giving to those in need.

Both done sacrificially!!

All of our giving should cost us something!

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”—Missionary Jim Elliott

God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having—life with Himself.

Oswald Chambers

Today, we will be focusing in on our giving to others in need church and what this should look like.

However, it is an important part of a believers life to give to the church.

If your wondering how it is done, there are envelopes on the backs of the pews you are sitting in.

You can drop what the Lord places on your heart in that envelope and put it in the black box on the left of the front door as your exit.

Or you can give online on our website under the giving tab.

Thank you for all your love offerings and tithes church!

Many sitting here today have been faithful for years and have reaped the rewards that God has promised, so thank you.

But some of y’all have yet to trust God with this area of your life.

Know if your new here, that this is not about wanting your money, but rather a teaching on what it means to be his disciples.

Charles Spurgeon said: There are three conversions:

The Heart!

The Head!

The Wallet!

Here at FCC, we do not preach on giving, unless the text at hand calls us to, so here we are.

Matthew 6:1 NASB95

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Some of your translations say, charitable deeds, alms, but here we have the correct translation.

Your righteous deeds.

The word alms means righteous acts; giving in order to meet the needs of the poor. To the Jew, giving alms and righteousness meant the same thing. Giving alms was the greatest thing a Jew could do; it was the first act of religion. It was considered to be the very embodiment of righteousness, so much so that the two words began to be used synonymously. Giving alms merited and assured one of righteousness and salvation.

So what does Jesus mean by practicing your righteousness before men?

Righteousness-alms-eleēmosynē -(el-eh-ay-mos-oo'-nay) — the act of contributing money or goods to the poor; especially as flowing from a disposition to kindness and compassion. Having mercy or pity on the poor. The tree of mercy.

So where was this principle derived?

It is important for us to remember that the Bible that Jesus read growing us , was the OT.

Deuteronomy 15:7–9 NKJV

“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.

Deuteronomy 15:10–11 NKJV

You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

There are four things I would like us to glean from this text:

We are to take care of our brothers and sisters whom are poor.

Our hearts need not be grieved or hardened when we give to them, but we are to give cheerfully, because God loves a cheerful giver!

We are to open our hand wide not only to our brothers and sisters within the church, but also to the poor and needy of the land.

Note: The poor will not cease from the land! Jesus said it like this:

Matthew 26:11 NKJV

For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

So way back in the OT, not only here in this text, but in several places God commands us to give, give, and give!!!

This is not only monetary, but out of the abundance of what the Lord has given us.

However church, we must be careful to seek the Lord about when to give, because we do not want to be enablers, because enabling does not help, but rather hurts the individual we are giving to.

Its almost like rewarding bad behavior.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 NKJV

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

Proverbs 19:15 NKJV

Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.

Matthew 6:1 NKJV

“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.

Take Heed/ Be careful is written in the present imperative in the Greek. It means that this is not a suggestion, but we must be constantly taking heed to the way we give and then also praying and fasting.

What Jesus is doing here is laying our spiritual disciplines for those that are His, those that are Kingdom people.

Take Heed- prosechō- to beware v. — to be on one’s guard, be cautious or wary about, or be alert to. To be concerned about, apply one’s mind to.

Jesus is checking the motives here church.

Are we giving because the Lord has commanded us to give or are we giving for the accolades or the applause of men?

Are we giving because we want the affirmation or the approval of men?

The sad thing about approval seeking behaviors is that when some one does not affirm you by saying that was awesome that you gave, or did this or that, you actually become resentful and even begin assassinating a persons character or make you out to be a criminal because they did not give you what you were looking for.

Church, do not build your life on Atta Boys or the affirmation of others, because it is about self glory, rather than the glory of God!

You will be miserable!

If you give to be seen by men, Jesus says you have reward.

And you will have no reward from your Father in heaven!

Matthew 6:2 NASB95

“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

OUCH! Jesus did you really say that?

Note it is not if your give, but when you give. And what’s interesting over the next few weeks Jesus will say its not if you pray and fast, but when you pray and fast.

In the area of giving, praying and fasting, Jesus will talk about the hupokrites, or hypocrites. Hupokrites is a Greek word that means “mask-wearer.”

Hupokrites were actors in the Greek theater who wore masks, very exaggerated in form, with huge smiles and frowns so that even people in the back row could see what kind of emotion was being portrayed.

We get the word two-faced from this same idea.

Integrity- is doing what you say, living out what you believe. It comes from the word integer- which means to be one church.

Do you live out what you believe?

Duplicity-double minded, this means that you say you believe, but you do not act it out. We miss the mark at times. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways church!

Hypocrisy-you act deliberately like something your not, you are an actor in the stage of life to get what you need. All you do is give people the impression that your something that you not.

Jesus said, “Don’t be hypocritical in your giving.” How did the hypocrites give?

There are three streams of though here from various scholars regarding the trumpet:

That this is a metaphor or hyperbole on Jesus behalf.

Or Originally, there was an area at the side of the temple courtyard called the Chamber of the Secret. People would go there and drop gifts designated for the poor in a large chest called the Trumpet. Later, the poor would come to the Chamber of the Secret and receive gifts from the Trumpet. It was all done very discreetly, with humility and honesty.

But as the years went on, the Pharisees decided it wasn’t practical to go all the way to the temple to give alms to the poor. So instead, they tied a small brass or silver trumpet to their belts. Then, whenever they wanted to give to the poor, they stood on a street corner and blew their trumpets. Upon hearing this, the poor people in the area would gather around the generous Pharisee as he distributed his alms with great flourish, while everyone around said, “My! Look how righteous he is!”

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they gave not out of concern for the poor, but that they might be seen by men.

Matthew 6:2 NKJV

Therefore, 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.

Note: there reward is the glory of men, not the blessing of God church.

In our vanacular today, Jesus is saying don’t blow your own trumpet church when you give.

Don’t toot your horn!

Pride goes before destruction!

Matthew 6:3–4 NKJV

But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Here is a BUT! This is the principle that Jesus is laying on us to do!

Note: again, after the But is when, not an if.

Disciples of Jesus Christ that are being sanctified, will move from takers to givers.

And giving will become a way of life.

Acts 20:35 NKJV

I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Here, our Lord uses an extreme metaphorical illustration to emphasize the intense privacy that should be present when we give to help others.

The right hand is the one we normally use in giving because most of us are right-handed.

Thus when we give, our giving must be so hidden that the left hand does not even see what is happening.

The idea is, not only are we not to tell others of our giving—we are not to make a big deal of it to ourselves. We are so subtly sinful that we will refrain from an outward show in giving and then pat ourselves on the back for our profound humility. We must guard against this. Do not keep a diary in which you jot down your good deeds, assuming that is so spiritual because you did it privately. Do not keep track. Do not give yourself merit marks. Forget your goodness. Follow God. Do it, and forget it.

A minister whose heart was aglow with missionary zeal gave notice to his congregation that in the evening an offering would be taken for missions, and he asked for liberal gifts.

A selfish, well-to-do man in the congregation met the preacher before the evening service and said, “You are going to kill the church if you go on saying, ‘Give, give, give.’ No church can stand it. You are going to kill it.”

After the sermon the preacher said to the people: “Brother Jones told me I am going to kill this church if I keep asking you to give; but, my brethren, churches don’t die that way. If anybody knows of a church that died because it had been giving too much to the Lord, I would be very much obliged if my brother would tell me where that church is, for I will visit it and climb on the walls of that church, under the light of the moon, and say, ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.’”

How is your giving? Does it cost you something?

Remember church what the Apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth:

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 NKJV

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

May we give graciously and abundantly for God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him church.

Remember, if we are giving sacrificially, it will cost you something!

Lord Jesus, thank you for this teaching on giving and for the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding our giving individually and corporately. Help us to remember Father that the widow gave everything she had which was two-mites and that you are more concerned about the motives of our hearts, than how much we give. May this Christmas season your prompt us to give more than before to those in need and help us to not forget that it is you who said, “When you have helped the least of these, you have helped Me!” Forgive us for being tight with our finances and the things you have giving us. They are yours Lord, teaches us how to steward them so that you will be glorified!

In Jesus Names, We Love You! Amen!

Luke 6:38 NKJV

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

THE LORD BLESS YOU!

YOUR MISSION STARTS NOW!

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