Righteous Living

Intro: One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Little Johnny’s mother asked him to return thanks. “But I don’t know what to say!” 4 year old Johnny complained. “Oh, just say what you hear me say” his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, “Oh Lord, why did I invite these people over on a hot day like this?”

Johnny exposed His mother for playing the part as Jesus did the religious leaders of the day warning His disciples “Beware of practising your righteousness before men to be noticed by them.”

Perhaps we know people like this, or worse… we are people like this. Three times He called the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites, which is a theatrical term meaning to wear a mask and play the part. In Matt. 5:20 Jesus told His disciples “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and Scribes, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Their righteousness was works apart from a relationship with God and their motives were to receive gory from man instead of bringing glory to God. The glory of man has no eternal substance it only fades away (1 Peter 1:24). And, the glory of man was all they would receive because they had no part with God.

CPS: Today I want you to know that God looks through the acts and sees the motives of why we do what we do. True righteousness comes only by grace through faith in Jesus and leads people to do all things to the glory of God. Today I will give you three principles of righteous living.

I. Give Secretly (2-4)

Generosity is a major part of Christian life, the N.T. teaches us to give with a joyful heart. It was was also important during Jesus’ day, when there wasn't government assistance. Alms (eleēmosynē) in verse 2 means acts of mercy towards the poor. It is charitable giving to those who are in genuine need.

A. Hypocritical Giving

The religious of Jesus’ day gave tithes often in excess of 20 percent, they gave to the poor which sounds like great things but their motives were wrong. They gave to be seen and to have a kind word spoken to them and of them. There isn't any biblical or historical evidence of an actual trumpet being blown when they gave, it is most likely hyperbole, but they gave in such a way everyone knew about it. It is often said, God blesses the giver but He does not bless this kind of giving. It robs God of glory and honor. Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.”

B. Giving That Glorifies God

The giving that is in line with true righteousness calls no attention to itself, it is giving with the right motives, to genuinely help others and bring glory to God. Jesus says to give in such a way that you bring no attention to yourself, and have no desire to receive anything in return, your giving is between you and God. Jesus says don’t let your right hand know what you are doing. I think this simply means not to draw attention to yourself.

ILL: It is said, that Charles Spurgeon and his wife Susannah raised chickens. They would sell the eggs refusing to give them away. Even close relatives were told, “You may have some eggs but only if you pay for them.” As a result some people labeled the Spurgeons greedy and grasping. They accepted the criticisms without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed. All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows. Because the Spurgeons where unwilling to let their left hand know what the right hand was doing they endured the attacks in silence. You know, we’d all like a reputation for generosity, and we’d all like to buy it cheap.

The giving that glorifies God is not self serving. Now, Jesus is not telling us to withhold giving if their is a chance someone will find out about it. The early church supported the needs of others by the selling their possessions and laying the proceeds at the feet of the apostles. In Acts 4:35 Barnabas is mentioned as doing this. But, so is another couple, Ananias and Sapphira who sold a piece of property and kept some for themselves and laying the rest at the feet of the disciples. However, they let it be known that they brought it all. They wanted people to think they were more spiritual than they actually were, they sought the glory of man and lied to the Holy Spirit and dropped dead in their tracts.

Though others knew Barnabas gave, His motive was to glorify God while Ananias and Sapphira glorified themselves. It is best to give in secret lest you're tempted to sin and your blessing is that God knows and you will grow spiritually in this life as you await the next.

II. Pray Authentically (5-13)

Prayer is an important part of righteous living. It plays a major role in our fellowship with God as it is the platform for communicating with Him. We see that Jesus encourages prayer by saying, “when you pray.” and in this text He teaches us how to pray

A. We Must Pray Privately

Jesus said the religious leaders of the day prayed to be seen. They gathered three times a day to pray , but He called them hypocrites because at first glance it looked like prayer but it wasn't. They prayed to show off how pious they were and to display their oratory skills. Waxing eloquently to impress those who hear. But prayer is a time of communication with God and is not a time to give a discourse or to communicate information. And before we condemn them we need to examine ourselves as we pray in the open.

ILL: During the COVID shutdown many Pastors from our area often gathered to pray, Wayne Roe who was leading one of the meetings said to us gathered, “this is not a time to break out your sermon from last week.”

Like those leaders in Jesus’s day who were looking for the oohs and awes, if that is our practice then the oohs and awes of men is all that we will receive. Jesus said go into your secret place. Closet (tameion) means inner room. It is a private place where meet with God and pour our heart out to him. It is a place where intimacy is conducive and a safe place to be real.

ILL: Robert Redford was walking one day through a hotel lobby. A woman saw him and followed him to the elevator. “Are you the real Robert Redford?” she asked him with great excitement. As the doors of the elevator closed, he replied, “Only when I am alone!” Praying authentically is being real with God.

It’s not wrong to pray corporately as long as you have a prayer life privately. A corporate prayer is to be a genuine conversation with God and as we pray corporately it must be as no one else is listening or watching, its as you are alone with God.

B. We must pray Sincerely 7-8

We must not pray in meaningless repetition. Vain repetitions is the Greek verb battalogeō which means babble or meaningless sound. It is insencere pray like those of the Pharisees and those of the pagan religions of Jesus’ day who chanted or recited prayers from prayer books. Jesus calls for sincerity, simplicity, and directness as we pray.

ILL: We were stranded in an airport in Arequipa Peru, we needed to get home and God knew. My friend Daniel simply and sincerely said, “Lord give us an airplane.” with in 5 minutes three seats came available on a sold out plane departing in less than 30 minutes. Off we went!

God knows our needs before we ask but James 4:2 tells “You do not have because you do not ask:” God has chosen to grant somethings to us only when we pray.

Notice, the emphasis of Jesus’ instruction is not repetition but the meaningless babble. Matt. 7:7 says, Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.” in Luke 18:1-18 Jesus In Luke 18:1-8 He tells a parable about the consistent request of a widow saying “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him night and day, and will He delay long over them?” It is OK to repeat our request to God as long as we pray sincerely.

C. We must Pray in God’s will 9-13

Jesus gives us a model for prayer, we wrongly call it the Lord’s prayer however that is in John 17. He teaches us to pray in a way that glorify God. It puts God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will before the earthly needs of man. Prayer is a mighty instrument, not to get man’s will done in heaven, but for getting Gods will done on earth.

D. We must pray having a forgiving spirit towards others (13-14)

We are to ask for forgiveness of our sin as we have forgiven others. We are told to pray for deliverance from temptation to sin. In verses 13-14 is an appendix to 6:12 “as we forgive our debtors.” This is not earning forgiveness for our sin, that is contrast to the Gospel of God’s grace, but it means that since we have experienced forgiveness of our sin be ready to forgive others. THIS IS A FELLOWSHIP MATTER! Our fellowship with God is two directional, vertical and horizontal. To have unbroken fellowship we must have the right relationship with God and a good relationship with our fellow man. If we are at odds with our brother we are out of fellowship with God and we cannot pray effectively. Thus, forgiveness is important to prayer.

How is your prayer life, are you praying in private, do you you pray sincerely, do you pray God’s will, and are you praying with a forgiving heart?

III. Fast Merrily (16-18)

Fasting is a spiritual disciple that we don’t talk about much. It is a time to abstain from certain things in order to focus on God in prayer and reflection. It can bring you close to God and give you proper direction as you discern Gods will for your life.

These Pharisees fasted twice a week, each Monday and Thursday. For them it was legality apart from the Law of God that commanded 1 fast a year, during the day of atonement. Jesus expose their hypocrisy as their fast wasn't god honoring as they made it look as though they were fasting so hard they were dying! They neglected their hygiene, messed up their hair, distorted their faces with makeup all for the attention of man!

When you fast, notice it is encouraged (“when”). its best to be alone with God as much as possible, but brush our teeth, comb your hair, have joy from the heart and may it be seen because your reward is a spiritual blessing between you and God.

Conclusion: True righteousness is a relationship with God through Jesus. It glorifies God and exercises spiritual disciplines with the proper motives, God’s glory! Are you a righteous person, have you been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus or are you a white washed tomb like these Pharisees?

ILL: The Queen Mary was the Largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through 4 decades and a World War she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, Ca.

During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scrapped down and repainted. But on the docks they crumbled . Nothing was left of the 3/4 inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than 30 coats if pain that had been applied over the years. The steel had rusted away.

In Matthew 23:27-28 Jesus called the Pharisees “Whitewashed tombs,” He meant they had no substance, only an exterior appearance. Are you the righteousness of God or are you simply playing the part.