Heavenly Father
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Chapter 5 Review
Chapter 5 Review
If you need help finding Matthew, find an adult around you.
In fact, get good at asking questions and for help
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
A disciple is someone who follows Jesus. They listen to Jesus. They learn from Jesus. They try to live their life like Jesus teaches and models for them.
What Jesus teaches in Matthew 5 is that His disciples will live radicially different from the way everyone else live.
For example: The Beautitudes
Then for the rest of the chapter: Lust, Oaths, Retaliating, Enemies, Divorce,
It can all be summed up in Matthew 5:48
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
And as we begin chapter 6—we get another summary statement in Matthew 6:1
“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.
HOOK:
Musicians: would you rather be good at playing the clarinet or appear to be good?
Marching along but not actually playing anything.
Athletes: would you rather be athletic or appear to be a good athlete?
The studious: Would you rather be smart or appear to be smart?
In the first half of chapter 6, Jesus speaks of 3 ways the disciples of Jesus live differently
In our Giving, in our Prayer, and in our Fasting
What is Jesus teaching?
Matthew 6:2 (ESV)
“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.
Matthew 6:16 (ESV)
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.
Matthew 6:16 (ESV)
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.
The way of the world is to be good for the show of it.
To be seen.
To be praised.
To be loved.
Family Fighting—>Photo
But this is the way our hearts are wired...
Don’t believe me?
A. Do you get upset when you do the right thing and no one notices?
B. Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others: You say things like: “At least I don’t act like them. They’re bad people.”
C.
But Jesus is commanding His followers not to live like this.
Why?
Matthew 6:2 ““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 6:5 ““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 6:16 ““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.”
You see the theme?
Jesus doesn’t want us to do good for nothing.
Not just because its the right thing to do.
He’s not calling us to grit our teeth, obey, because thats our duty.
So what does Jesus want?
He wants us to actually get something out of it. To actually receive a real reward for our good deeds.
Its not that you are wanting too much. You are wanting enough. You’re looking for it in the wrong place.
Matthew 6:3–4 “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 6:6 “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 6:17–18 “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.”
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. …like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. …like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
― C.S. Lewis
But as much as we read “reward,’ did you notice how many times Jesus used the phrase “your Father.”
If you’re a numbers guy/girl Matthew uses the phrase “your Father” 11 times and 7 are in these verses.
In Bible study, repitition is emphasis and Jesus is emphasizing for us this
Having a Heavenly Father changes everything.
Having a Heavenly Father changes everything.
When you give to the poor, you can strive to be seen by others or you can rest in the wonder that your Heavenly Father sees every good work you do.
When you pray, you can go out of your way to make sure that everyone knows how righteous you are or you can fall on your knees that your Heavenly Father knows everything you need.
When you fast, you can work to earn the approval of others or show your dependence on the God who call
Even Matthew 6:7-8
“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.
What Jesus is after is the same thing you see all week long and you’ll witness in my daughter Tynleigh, or Andrew’s Claire, Alex’s Ellie or Kirk’s Judah:
At some point this week you’ll hear them say something like this: “Daddy are you watching?”
“Hey did you see that?”
“Dad, watch this!”
Jesus is trying to lift us up from satisfying our souls on the crumbs of the crowds and to pull up a chair at the Father’s family table.
Because you were made to be seen by someone and have them lavish their approval on you.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
But how can a righteous, all-powerful God look down on sinners like me and you say He loves us? That we please Him? That we are His sons and daughters?
Ephesians 1
Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
As we start this week, let me call on you to see that Having a Heavenly Father changes everything. It changes how we find satisfaction in this life. Where we go looking for approval. Who we want to see us.
And if you’re already following Jesus as a disciple, think about your life and rest in His approval because of Jesus’ righteousness.
And if you aren’t a disciple of Jesus and you don’t have a Heavenly Father, what would prevent you from making that decision tonight?