Sermon Tone Analysis

Announcements

Are there any announcements?

We have 14 Angel Tree kids, if your interested, see Kathy.

When should our next Potluck be?

How about an Agape Feast?

Communion and Potluck together later in December?

Please continue to pray for Mary, Franca, and Rae!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2q46r2xirY

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to FCC, where we worship God in Spirit and inTruth, one verse at a time.

Thank you for praying for and meeting the needs that God brought our way this week.

And thank you for that message of music!

We have come as far as Matthew 6, so let’s open our Bibles there.

It seems like we were in 5 for a while and now we are headed to six where things will become more practical.

Today, we will focus on the first 4 verses of Chapter 6.

Read Matthew 6:1-4

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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!

OUCH! Jesus did you really say that?

Note it is not if your give, but when you give.