The Secret Life of Saints

Welcome, Happy Mother’s Day …

Moms are Saints, their lives are filled with sacrifice, service, and silent suffering. Hours of prayer, loads of laundry, sleepless nights waiting up for them to come home. So many things are done from the heart without seeking recognition nor reward and yet on this day we want to say thank you to our mothers for reasons only each of us know. So take some time today, to thank the Lord for mothers, your mother.

We are in a series in the book of Mathew preaching through the Sermon on Mount, “Called to a greater life”. A life in the Kingdom of Heaven, where we focus our hearts on our relationship with Jesus, and the righteousness that is ours through that relationship. It is a life of pursuing God and the things of God.

Slide We are pursuing a life that is not about being better but rather pursuing a greater life in Christ!

Last week we concluded a section of scripture between … 5:20 “your righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees” to 5:48 where Jesus is saying “you must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Don’t raise your hand. But, have you ever done something just so others would notice? Or maybe, you did something good and then you just had to tell someone. At work you wanted the boss to know that it was your idea or that you worked all weekend to meet that deadline, at school, you wanted the teacher to know how hard you studied and that you deserved that A, that honor, that award. At home, you want your parents to recognize your effort, your hard work, you want your spouse to acknowledge the extra attention you are paying to the family, the bills, the yardwork, the date night. you want to be noticed, you want or need someone to say “great job”, at a girl, at a boy… I know I do. And, the truth is that we all need encouragement, and recognition at different times in our lives.

But what about your life in Christ? As a follower of Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven is it okay to be recognized, rewarded or even seek it out?

Are there things in your life that are good, that no one sees or knows about? Are there times when you have prayed for God to move powerfully on behalf a person’s circumstances? Maybe you saw someone in need and gave an anonymous gift to help them. Maybe you have felt God calling you to a deeper faith, calling you to hunger and thirst for Him like never before, leading you to times of prayer and fasting.

Is there a secret life for followers of Jesusthat we are called to pay attention to?

The truth is that are called to have practices in our lives that not all people see, a secret life, if you will, that we are all called to. It is the Secret Life of Saints.

In today’s text Jesus says just that … turn to Matthew 6 …

Slide 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

So, here are some observations right off … we all have righteous practices, serving, giving, prayer, worship, fasting, generosity, faith, sacrifice, purity, forgiveness and more.

Slide Practicing righteousness is a good thing!

Have you ever thought of how you are practicing righteousness? Think about it. One day, you are told you are righteous in Christ. Cool, now what does that mean. You have been made right with Him. Sin forgiven, one of his children, living in his kingdom, under his rule, authority and power.

So, you have a friend in need, and you take them a meal. Then you tell another friend about the great meal you took them, how much you spent on it and how long it took you to prepare it. You toot your own horn, you put the spotlight on you, and yes, it was a thoughtful thing to do. But, you got what you ultimately wanted … for someone to know and see what a great person you are. Here is the problem …

Jesus says that you and I …

Slide You can do a goodthing for the wrong reasons!

We can do good things, because they make us feel good.

We can do good things, because they make us look good.

We can do good things, because they make us act good.

But…

Slide Righteous behavior is only righteous when your heart is right!

Jesus gives us three righteous practices common in the first century and still a part of what it means to practice righteousness today.

Slide There is an outward, upward and inward practice of righteousness.

Jesus is going to compare a hypocrite …

Slide Hypocrite – a righteous person with an unrighteous motive.

Does one thing that appears right, but his heart is far from God in the secret place. They love God, but they love the praise of men … more!

Then Jesus says to do these practices in secret for a reward … yes a reward!

Slide The secret life of Saints is about practicing our righteousness for a reward in heaven.

Reward is used 24 times in the NT and of those 24 times, 7 of them are in this passage. Jesus is trying to tell his hearers something important about what is to come … Something given to someone for their actions.

We are reminded in Luke, that Jesus said …

Slide Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:22-23

Paul writes to the Christians at

Slide Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lordyou will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

And John writes …

Slide Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 2 John 8

So let’s look at The Secret Life of Saintsand these three practices that help us pursue righteousness for an eternal reward.

The first is giving.

Slide Giving – Generosity from a compassionate heart!

When you give …

Slide Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:2

Giving to the needy is not tithing or giving an offering at church. This is about giving when you see someone in need. It’s called alms giving and it was practiced in the church and in culture in general because the vast majority of people had nothing and were living on the alms giving of people … Listen to Jesus …

Slide But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

This is a Jewish idiom, meaning don’t draw attention to what you are doing.

It’s not the amount, it’s the attitude.

It’s not the dollar, it’s the desire.

It’s not the cents, it’s the seeing the need.

It’s recognizing the humanity of those in need, the image of God they possess.

So … when you give to those in need, don’t make it about you. Don’t try to tell the story, go public, put it on Facebook or any other way you might try to draw attention to yourself.

The second righteous practice in the secret life of saints is prayer!

Slide Prayer – Growing sense of surrender in the presence of Jesus!

The hymn I surrender all, all to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give. I will ever love and trust him and in his presence daily live.

Slide And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:5

This doesn’t say, don’t pray in public. It is about intentionally drawing attention to yourself.

Slide But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Jesus goes on to speak not just to the wherewe pray but the words we pray.

Slide And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7-8

This passage is reminiscence of 1 Kings 18 where the prophets of Baal chanted, yelled, danced, cut themselves to get their gods attention. Elijah just spoke and fire came down.

Then Jesus gives us the prayer that so many of us have learned from a young age. It is a prayer from the heart.

Slide Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10

This prayer is not individual but communal – it is our Father and forgive us, It is not my Father or forgive my sins.

Christianity is inherently a community, a kingdom, a family, a body of believers, the church. Jesus did not call isolated individuals to follow him. He called a group of disciples.

We see in this upward practice that we begin with a desire for God’s name, kingdom and will.

Slide Name – Kingdom – Will

The Irish Trinity Knot, is a symbol of this trinitarian view of God’s name, kingdom and will.

Slide - Irish knot

Then Jesus leads us to pray for our petitions, our needs …

Slide Give us this day our daily bread … Matthew 6:11

Depending on God for our daily needs…

Slide and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Forgiveness is key to living a flourishing life in the Kingdom of God.

Slide And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13

You might be thinking, does God tempt us? This is more of an expression of may I be strong in testing and not fall to temptation.

It is often at this point in some translations that we would read, “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, amen.”

This passage doesn’t appear in the earliest manuscripts of Scripture, so most translations leave it out, but it is certainly appropriate and consistent with all of scripture.

But Jesus adds an additional teaching on forgiveness …

Slide For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

What does them mean. In the simplest way, it means that when you and I realize the depth of our sin and experience the mercy and grace of a loving God’s sacrifice for us and we know what it means to be forgiven. Then our hearts are forever changed! I am called to live the secret life of forgiveness. It is found in Jesus’s admonition to pray for our enemies and for those that persecute us.

The third righteous practice in the secret life of saints is fasting!

Slide Fasting – Genuine Desire for more of God!

This not I.F. – Intermediate Fasting that has become on the ways that you can approach diet and eating.

This is about hunger and thirsting for more of God and His righteousness in our lives.

Slide And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:16

Why fast to begin with? Even that day fasting was a way in which people gave focused attention to God, to draw nearer to his presence for the purpose of power, divine healing, guidance, wisdom, favor and more. So Jesus says …

Slide But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:17-18

Again, it is not about people knowing or no knowing. It is about your heart. Are you fasting so others will think you are spiritually superior or that you are some kind of super Christian?

Or are you seeking God’s life for you, hungering and thirsting for more of his love, grace to overcome sin, mercy, power, forgiveness for others, healing, wisdom, direction in life …

So what do you and I need to put into practice from this morning’s teaching?

Slide Look around – Give - Commit to caring, sharing and helping the needy wherever you can all for a greater reward!

Slide Look up – Pray - Be with Jesus in prayer and find grace and mercy for your life all for a greater reward!

Slide Look in – Fast - deny yourself, hungering for more of God, for the sake of your own spiritual health and vitality all for a greater reward!

Practice righteousness! Out of a changed heart, a heart that looks around with compassion seeing the needs of others, looks up to heaven longing for the name of God to be glorified, praying for the kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven and a changed heart that looks in hungering and thirsting for righteousness even more than food. Defining our lives by our private practices of righteous, not for the praise of men but for the reward of our Father … well done good and faithful servant

Practice your righteousness for the God and your spiritual reward. Practice your righteousness because of what it will do for your heart. Practice your righteousness because your heavenly father sees what you do in secret and will reward you in eternity.