Get Real

Recap

Today marks our 5th Sunday of teaching through the greatest sermon ever given…Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

Today is also the first Sunday of the season of Lent…a time of intentional…confession, prayer, fasting, all in an effort to draw nearer to God…or…more accurately…be more aware of God drawing near to us...

Jesus’ sermon on the mount…is a teaching about “the kingdom of heaven” or the “kingdom of God”…it is meant to show Jesus’ disciples…what living a godly life…looks like.

We discussed how the kingdom of God values things differently than the kingdoms of this world...

We’ve discussed how we are called to be salt and light in this world and how Jesus came to fulfill God’s law...

We’ve discussed Jesus as the ultimate interpreter of God’s law...

Last week we talked about how Jesus was telling his disciples that their lives should look different…from the lives of those who do not care or thinking much about God...

We talked about the sermon on the mount as a revival for our soul…an invitation to live life…at a deeper level…bringing us back to God…from whom we came...

Today we turn the page so to speak…in Jesus sermon…to chapter 6 where the emphasis turns from description and interpretation…to practice...

Today

I’ve titled today’s message “Get Real”…because in our passage we heard read this morning…Jesus is declaring to his disciples…that authenticity…matters to God…authenticity matters for genuine relationship…and living our lives in a godly manner...

In Matthew 6:1 Jesus states the principle upon which practices follow:

Matthew 6:1 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 6:1 NLT

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

Perhaps The Message version puts it best:

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.”

Who doesn’t like applause?

Who doesn’t want a reward?

One receives applause or a reward because of one’s performance…or one’s skill…done in order to impress an audience...

John Calvin called all of creation…the world…as a theatre for God’s glory…theatre invokes images of actors…and sets…and story…performed on a stage...

The appropriate response to seeing a theatre production is to clap your hands and show appreciation for the hard work it takes to put on theatrical performances...

But in the Theater of the world…God is…

the actor…

the set designer…

the choreographer…

the composer…

the director...

Everything!

And it is God…who deserves our thanks and praise...

Yet so often it is we…who desire praise…we want to be noticed for what we do…or what we give…or …dare I say…what we “preform” for God?

And from whom... do we want that praise?

Not from God…but from other people…yet again…it all comes down to us want to put ourselves in God’s place…we want to be our own God…it is is this sinfulness that we repent of during lent and throughout our lives...

In Matthew 6…Jesus gets to the heart of our sin…and it is the principle…which is portrayed in the practices Jesus’ mentions…namely...

In J.B. Phillips’…1972 translation…The New Testament in Modern English…he translates Matthew 6:2 ...

“When you do good to other people, don’t hire a trumpeter to go in front of you—like those play-actors in the synagogues and streets who make sure that men admire them.”

John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch, 2014), Mt 6:1–4.

Remember…Matthew was written primarily with Jewish Christians in mind…and this is a bit of a polemic against some givers at the Jewish temple who wanted to ensure their giving was noticed...

They receive their reward through the “thank yous” and “applause” of other believers...

But Jesus says “WHEN…you give”…it is implied that followers of God will give…money…in order that others may be blessed…particularly the poor and vulnerable may be blessed...

John Phillips puts it this way:

Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary (a. The Duties of Life (6:1–4))

The Lord takes it for granted...that (his followers) will be so much in love with Him... that we will help the impoverished...spend time in prayer...and bring our lives under control.

He expects these practices to be an instinctive part of our Christian behavior—(toward people…toward God…and toward ourselves).

When we give our money…we are acknowledging several truths:

an awareness of appreciation for what we have…

a recognition that others don’t have as much…

and a realization…that God has provided everything we have in the first place…the gifts, blessings, and talents we have that has allowed us to earn the money and possessions we do have…that is a recognition that it all comes from God in the first place.

Therefore when we give…we don’t want to point to ourselves in any way…God’s people are not to give for any reason…other than to God’s glory and to show appreciation (applause if you will) to God for God’s provision ...

In our private giving…we trust that God will publically bless others…and…reward us

As Warren Carter puts it “reward is an eschatological reward…where God’s blessing is experienced now and more intensely in God’s new age.”

Giving... is an invitation…to live in God’s kingdom now…and experience the blessings thereof…today.

Lest you think this is a shameless plug for giving more to Christ’s church here at BPC…as important as that is…I’m referring to general giving…to any organization...that is a blessing to others…to believers and non-believers alike…especially to the poor…the outcast…the marginalized in our society...

Closing

Jesus then turns his attention to the practice of prayer.

It’s interesting to me that right on the heels of “giving alms” Jesus mentions the practice of prayer...

In the LORD’s prayer…something we pray together each week in worship…Jesus says…a disciple will pray for God’s kingdom to come…and reign on earth as it is in heaven…

It is a prayer that pushes self…to the side…not because we are unimportant…but because God is God…who alone is worthy of our praise…and our attention...

We acknwledge God’s holiness

God’s provision or our daily needs

We are to ask for God’s help in resisting temptation (probably referring to the temptation to rely on ourselves to provide for our own needs)

Warren Carter notes this part of the Lord’s prayer “lead us not into temptation” (probably better translated trial or testing)…Carter says this: “may urge God to complete God’s purposes so that disciples are not tempted to think God faithless…inactive…and powerless in the chaotic present.”

How many times of you turned on the news or heard news from a doctor…or experienced a devastating loss in your personal life…have you wondered about God’s faithful activity in the world…or power in the world…to effect change?

It’s okay…that’s normal and okay to consider…it’s a part of the life of faith…which is why Matthew 6:10 reads:

Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

We are to long for…ask for God’s kingdom to Come…on earth as it is in heaven…the fulfillment of the God’s kingdom will mean the end to:

persecution

hatred

death

sin

and the promise of eternal peace in God’s presence...

God is not looking for “actors” on a stage…God calls us…as his disciples…to be authentic in our prayers…our giving…and in the living out of our faith.

As with so many things…we need to be reminded to put ourselves to the side…and put God in the driver seat of our lives…

and when we do that…when we ‘get real’ in our faith…we will have authentic relationship with God…and that is always a blessing...

Thanks be to God…AMEN.