Matthew 6:8 | "Your Father Knows" [ New Year's Day ]
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· 211 viewsSunday, January 1, 2023. Matthew 6:8 | "Your Father Knows." Preached to Heritage Bible Chapel in Princeton, MA. This is a sermon for New Year's Day.
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[ Matthew 6:1-18 has been read. ]
Pray
I. The Reading
I. The Reading
Hear Matthew 6:8 again.
Jesus teaches:
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
II. The Exhortation
II. The Exhortation
A helpful discipline in Bible study is to focus in on one verse of Scripture in context — and study each word, or phrase in that verse at a time.
In this way, Bible study does not need to be cumbersome nor complicated.
I want to model this simple study technique for this New Year’s Day sermon as we consider together verse 8, by examining this one verse with each word or phrase.
[ … ]
Verse eight is given to us in two parts.
The first part is a command: “so do not be like them,” —
and the second part is the reason for that command — “for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
A command, and a reason for that command.
Let’s look first at the command, given with the phrase —
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
“so do not be like them”
Notice, this is not a command to pray.
Technically, it is not a command to DO anything...
This is a command about being, that is — who God’s people are like — who God’s children resemble.
Jesus teaches that God’s children are distinct from the world.
Let us remember, brothers and sisters, that while our relationship with God certainly informs what we do, our relationship with God is not a result of anything we do.
We are not saved by our works. We are not kept by our works. We are not pleasing to God on the basis of what we do.
Remember this - at this new year, as you are planning out your goals, your hopes, your dreams that you think “if I DO these things, it will be successful year, I will be pleasing to God or self! No —
We are saved by God’s grace. We are kept by God’s grace. We are pleasing to God because of Jesus and what He has done on our behalf.
As we make our plans to “do,” we err if we make them independent of who God has planed for us to “be” — like Jesus.
God’s children are not to “be like them.” God’s children are to be like Him — like Jesus.
Who is Jesus referring to, when He says “them”?
Verse 7 tells us.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
God’s children are not to “be like them,” that is, they are not to resemble the Gentiles.
The word “Gentiles” is a translation of the Greek word ἐθνικός from εθνος.
Sometimes this word is translated as nations, pagans or heathen. Used here, this word refers to unbelievers.
God’s children are not to be like unbelievers.
And one way that God’s children are not like unbelievers, is in the way we pray.
Verse 7 again, Jesus says —
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
The Gentiles pray too. Everyone prays.
In the most trying of times and desperate needs — everyone prays!
But the Gentiles by nature, in this context as unbelievers, make their prayers about how their prayer is offered, and how to get their prayer heard and answered — the form and fashion of it, rather than who they are are praying to.
Jesus teaches that the Gentiles employ “meaningless repetition.”
That is, they “use the same words again and again.” They “speak without thinking” (BDAG). They “babble” repeatedly (LEB).
They are in search for the right combination of words, the right formula, that will move God to act and grant them their wishes.
Jesus teaches that “they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”
They suppose they will be heard....meaning, they don’t know they will be heard!
And rebuking this form of prayer, Jesus commands —
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Your Father does not need persuaded.
Your Father knows.
III. The Teaching
III. The Teaching
This moves to the second part of verse 8.
The second part of verse 8 is the Reason for the command “do not be like them” —
And that reason is given with the first word that comes next in the Greek language, it is the word “Knows.”
A. Knows
A. Knows
Let’s focus on this important word.
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Jesus shuts down the false assumptions of unbelievers.
God does not need our many words, nor our repeated babble, to be informed about our needs —
He already knows our needs! — Jesus says: Your Father knows!
This word “knows” means that God already has all the information.
And this creates a mystery of prayer.
For if God already knows our needs and does not need informed about them, then the purpose of prayer is not about information.
The purpose of prayer is not to inform God about our needs.
There is nothing that we can add to what God already knows.
Now, God is omniscient, meaning God knows everything. But this revelation is not meant to highlight God’s omniscience.
It is mean to highlight God’s loving care.
This word “knows” is not an adjective describing God. This word “knows” is a perfect, active verb. Meaning God is acting in His knowing.
God is actively aware of our needs because God cares for His children!
May I say it this way? God knows what we need this year, and what we need today, because God loves us and cares for us as the good Father that He is.
An Anonymous Church Father (ACC, 129) said:
“If he knows what we want ahead of time, then we do not pray to demand from God what we want but that it may please him to bestow what we need.” - Anonymous
It pleases God to act as a result of His knowing — to bestow upon us what we need.
This means it pleases God to be the source of our provision, moment by moment, day by day year by year — He doesn’t give us tomorrow’s bread, but He gives us our daily bread.
And because of this, we are implored to not to consider prayer as a light or meaningless activity.
This “knowing” is God’s acting toward us in relationship with Him. The next two words highlight the relational bounds of God’s acting.
Who knows? Jesus teaches that Your Father Knows...
B. Your Father
B. Your Father
Jesus could have used any number of words to describe God in his teaching, but He chose here the word “Father.”
It is a relational word.
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
It is often said that “we are all God’s children.” But this is wrong. This is an error!
Not everyone is a child of God in the sense that not everyone can appeal to God and cry out to Him with this word, Father.
Notice the word “Your.”
That is a very important pronoun here.
“Your Father.”
This is in contradiction to the pronouns “them” and “they” in reference to the Gentiles — the unbelievers.
Listen to verse 7 for the pronouns them/they:
Matthew 6:7 (NASB 95)
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
For the Gentiles, the unbelievers, prayer was about them and what they wanted!
But for the believer it is different. A believer looks away from self, and looks up:
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The relationship believers have with God informs what believers want and what believers pray for.
Jesus rebuked some Jews who wanted to kill him, saying —
44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Not everyone is a child of God according to Jesus. Not everyone can call God “Father.”
But you may in Christ today! Examine your heart at the beginning of this new year. Are you able, by the grace of God, to call God your Father?
As we look ahead to this New Year, the gospel frees us from selfish goals and fleshly desires, and instead refocuses our attention on the relationship we have with God — “your Father.”
Romans 8 says it this way —
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
Brothers and sisters — if God is “your Father,” it means that you are being led by the Spirit. And this sets you apart from the unbelievers in the world.
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The next phrase is translated:
C. What You Need
C. What You Need
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
This word “need” does not require excessive exposition for our understanding. The word “need” simply refers to what is lacking and needed (LN).
God doesn’t promise to give us what we want. God’s promise is for what we need.
And when He gives us what we need, He is continually shaping our wants to align with His will.
19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters — God, whom Jesus calls “your Father,” knows what you need. Let this be an encouragement for you, and for us!
These words for “you” are actually plural, not singular.
God knows what “we” need.
As believers, we do not live in isolation. Let this text encourage us all this year to prioritize the community that is the Church of the living God! The Christ-community!
In this way our needs are held in common, and are met by one another, and are shaped by one another as the Spirit unites us together in one accord.
What do you have, that God is not able to meet?
Nothing!
And this leads us to the last phrase —
D. Before You Ask Him
D. Before You Ask Him
Matthew 6:8 (NASB 95)
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
This phrase gives us the reason to avoid any unnecessarily long prayers, or mindless prayers, or repetitive prayers.
What Jesus is doing in this sermon is giving a new way to pray. It is not new in the sense that it is a novelty, something never seen or practiced before, but it is new in the sense that it belongs to those who are a new creation in Christ! For us who are believers - a new way to pray.
This phrase “before you ask Him” gives us an invitation, to engage our mind in praying, and not leave it behind.
If God already knows what we need before we ask, we might wonder — why ask?
We aren’t informing God of anything He doesn’t already know. So why pray?
Yet we ask, and we pray — because He is our Father, and He loves us deeply.
We ask so that the concern we have for whatever our needs are, will fade away into the background, as we turn our hearts and minds to God, receiving His love and care and knowledge of us — as His children in Christ.
Brothers and Sisters — We cannot understand or receive this Sermon on the Mount or any part of it, without the preacher of this sermon, who is Jesus.
This teaching is only understood through Jesus Christ!
The [ Christ ] Conclusion
The [ Christ ] Conclusion
And this is best understood through the first words of the next verse, Verse 9:
Matthew 6:9 (NASB 95)
9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
In verse 8, Jesus used the words “your Father.”
But in Verse 9, Jesus says “Our Father.”
What changes between “your Father” and “Our Father”?
And the answer is Jesus.
Jesus is praying with us!
Jesus the Son makes it possible for us, likewise, to call God “Father.”
And so as we pray, He prays...
How is it that the Father knows what we need before we ask Him?
The answer, brothers and sisters, is Jesus!
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus took on human flesh and knows every need we have.
Said another way - there is not one need you have, or will have that He does not already know.
In fact, the Bible says:
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
This means that God knew our greatest need before the world was — that we would need saving from sin, that we would be stained by the world, the transgressions, the lawlessness, the faithlessness.
God made provision before the foundation of the world, to send His Son into the world, to take our place on the cross.
He shed His blood, that we might be made right with God. That we might be reconciled to God. That we might pray to our Father and know, not suppose — but know, that He hears us. And if He has taken care of the need of our sin, what need will He not care for?
Jesus died on the cross, and as we know and believe and confess, He was raised from the dead!
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
When we pray, Jesus is praying too.
When we pray according to His will, God hears us!
Responsive Reading
Responsive Reading
9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is 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 also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’
SONG: “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us”