What's Our Motivation?

How would we respond?

There once was a particular religious leader whom people would travel great distances to see and ask their deep theological questions...

Being the compassionate man that he was, he wanted to help more people so he decided to take this spiritual wisdom to the people instead of them coming to him...

So with the permission of a local city, he found a prominent place on a busy corner of the street.

And every day he would sit there covered with dust and ashes.

A passing tourist asked him for permission to take his photograph, to which the holy man replied, “Just a moment please, let me rearrange my ashes.”

When it comes to religion and the practice of spiritual disciplines, there’s a lot of rearranging of ashes going on.

Fixing up our "holiness” so it’ll look better for a photograph.

And I suppose in all of our lives, there’s a little of that rearranging of ashes going on.

We want to make a good impression.

That’s a familiar religious game.

We want to appear holy and faithful to our faith, especially if there are some true holy people around us.

And so we play a game known as hypocrisy.

As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses hypocrisy in Matthew 6.

The Pharisees were masters at rearranging their ashes...on the outside they appeared holy, and the people around them viewed as holy....

but on the inside they were decaying graves.

Interestingly, the word hypocrite occurs more than a dozen times in Matthew.

The verb form originally meant to explain or interpret but the noun form meant an actor, pretender whose outward appearance contradicted the inner reality.

"Hypocrites” were actors in the Greek theater who wore masks, very exaggerated in form, with huge smiles and frowns so that even people in the back row could see what kind of emotion was being portrayed.

We get the word two-faced from this same idea.

It came to be known as a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives...

From Genesis to Revelation we see God dealing with hypocrisy...throughout every generation, in all forms of religion, hypocrites exist!

Every religion has people who maintain the externals without an internal reality!

That is just part of the sinfulness of man to play the game of religion.

Here is an important distinction we need to make...

Being a hypocrite does not refer to those who acknowledge their imperfections, and with God’s help strive to improve. Being a hypocrite means we deliberately maintain a false image.

There is not a single person hearing this today who doesn’t struggle with inconsistencies and shortcomings...

We become a hypocrite when we are okay with those imperfections and never put forth efforts to grow and change!

It obviously is an issue that concerned Jesus and, therefore, it should also concern us.

Making sure that all we do is motivated by a desire to glorify and please God not self!

Remember...Jesus is dealing with heart matters, because it is the condition of the heart that matters.

In this text, Jesus goes after our heart by challenging us to examine our motives.

Why do we do what we do?

What causes us to act and behave as we do, especially in matters of faith practices and spiritual activities?

Main Point: Kingdom Citizens Are Motivated to Please God, Not Self.

Up through verse 18 of Matthew 6, Jesus addresses three important pillars of first century Judaism...

giving (1-4)

prayer (5-15)

fasting (16-18)

These were three areas of righteous living the Pharisees made a point to practice openly which became “markers of holiness”.

They are areas that are easily prone to hypocrisy.

Righteous living in the kingdom is to be visible so God is glorified, yet it must never be visible to win the praise of others.

As we go through this text you will see a similar structure...

(1) a warning not to act for the praise of others

(2) a guarantee that those who ignore this warning will get what they want but no more,

(3) instruction on how to do it correctly and

(4) the assurance that the Father rewards that which is done correctly

We Need to Check Our Motives When We Give (1-4).

Read Matthew 6:1-4.

Depending on what version you have, your version may say “alms” or “charitable deeds”

The best translation of the word here is “righteousness”… general term for holiness in conduct

How does this fit with what Jesus says in Matthew 5:16?

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

At first glance it appears Jesus contradicts himself

others see your good deeds

don’t let others see

In 5:16, the point there is that we must not hide our light.

It is to shine in such a way that it directs men to praise God, not us.

That is the essential difference.

Also between the two verses Jesus uses two different words for “seeing.”

In Matthew 5:16 you have the ordinary word for seeing.

But here, in 6:1, the word used is the word from which we got our word “theater.”

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. θεάομαι

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So here is the warning...We are not to live righteously because we want to “put on a show” .

If our motive in living righteously is only for the public eye, God is not pleased with that, and He will not reward any of that!

So what does Jesus about the practice of giving?

Don’t Give Seeking the Praise of Others (6:1–3)

Jesus assumes his disciples are in the habit of giving...says when, not if...

Read those last five words again...“to be noticed by them”...

Those words speak to the issue of motives...

“Beware” is a present imperative, a word of command calling for constant vigilance and watchfulness.

We walk a very fine line between hypocrisy and genuineness...that comes down to one simple question: Why am I doing what I’m doing?

Is my motivation for doing what I know is right to honor and glorify my God?

By extension, Jesus’ words apply to all areas, not just giving, praying, and fasting.

The way you work...

Praise Team

Greeters

Coffee Ministry

Kids Zone

Elders

Ark Ministry

Or is my desire to gain glory and praise for myself through the applause of men?

If our motive is to be seen by others...then we can be certain of one thing: “We have no reward with our Father in heaven.”

The Pharisees’ great weakness was that they loved human praise more than God’s praise (cf. Jn 5:44; 12:43).

In verse 2, Jesus says...“Don’t sound a trumpet … figure of speech...like toot our own horn...don’t sprain our arm patting ourself on the back...

“in the synagogues and on the streets”...making a point to be seen and honored by men for doing something good...”

Many sought to appear compassionate and giving and yet they only desired to be noticed and praised.

Jesus says that will be the only reward you get...

have their reward in full is an interesting construction...

reward = literally ‘wages’, that which has been earned.

Have is a commercial term for receipt in full,

The implication here is there is no more to look forward to...

Isn’t that tragic?

Many go through life giving abundantly of their wealth expecting to receive future reward, but God says they have been compensated enough.

We cannot seek the praise of men and God at the same time...

When we give we can’t stand at the offering box and shout, “Look at me!”

Let’s take it a step further...We must be careful when it comes to posting righteousness on social media...

One minute we may post something good and right and have good motives for doing so...and then next post or share something that should never be aired in a public forum!

In fact, Jesus cautions in verse 3...“Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

If our motive is to serve God in love and please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them...

If our motive is to get the praise of men, then like the Pharisees, we will call attention to what we are doing.

Don’t celebrate your own personal acts of righteousness.

Do Give Seeking the Pleasure of Your Heavenly Father (6:1, 4)

We seek his approval and no other.

The reward we desire is with our “Father in heaven” (6:1).

The verb “to reward” with God as subject, here and in vv. 6, 18, is different from that used in v. 2.

it has a sense of “pay back,” and this is compatible with “reward”

There is a fine line here too…we don’t give to be rewarded...we give because God wants us to give and that glorifies Him and pleases Him...

So when we give, we should do it quietly and “in secret.”

God sees what we give and that is enough.

If others do hear of or see our giving, it only is to encourage them in faithful stewardship, not to exalt us.

We should give like Barnabas (Acts 4:32–37), not like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 1:1–11)!

When we give, we know that God sees it and He sees the motive behind it!

The greatest and most wonderful reward is the fact we get God himself.

God may choose to bless our giving this side of heaven...but our far better gift is that of Him graciously welcoming us into heaven to be with Him!

We Need to Check Our Motives When We Pray (5-8)

Jesus moves the conversation from giving to prayer (6:5–14).

Prayer in its simplest and most basic sense is a conversation with God.

Prayer is a child of God talking to his heavenly Father and listening to his Father by his Word illumined by the Spirit.

Pray Sincerely to Our Heavenly Father (5)

Jesus expects prayer to be a regular habit for the life of his disciples.

Verse 5 begins, “When you pray.”

The idea is that you and I will pray.

Jesus follows the statement with a now familiar warning: “You must not be like the hypocrites” (v. 2).

Hypocrites love to flaunt their false spirituality;

“they love to pray in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people.”

They pray in a way that others hear them and praise them for their holy sounding prayers.

Hypocrites are not sincere when they pray.

They pray for show.

Two questions can help us evaluate ourselves when we pray so that we know if we are being hypocrites.

Do we pray longer in public than we do in private?

verse 7 speaks to this...

Do we pray differently in public than we do in private?

Pray Secretly to Our Heavenly Father (6)

Jesus is not saying we should not pray in public...

Public prayer is practiced throughout the Bible and commanded as a vital component of corporate worship.

What Jesus is condemning here is when it becomes ritualistic and formal.

Public and corporate prayer cannot substitute for private and individual prayer.

Jesus teaches us a pattern here...

Find a private place.

“Go into your private room” and “shut your door.”

This was an inner room of the house hidden from public view

For the purpose of focus on God not who is going to see us pray.

Seek out the Father who is in heaven.

There is no need to make a show in your prayer closet.

“Pray to your [heavenly] Father who is in secret.”

This is a private affair between us and our Father in heaven.

Notice the repetition of the word “secret” in verses 4, 6 (twice), and 18 (twice).

Jesus is trying to help us understand that who we are in private is who we truly are.

Who are we when only God is watching?

What are we like when only God is watching?

Jesus concludes verse 6 as he did verse 4 on giving: “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The hypocrite prays for the approval of a human audience.

The true disciple prays for the approval of a heavenly audience.

The approval and pleasure of our Father is all we need; it should be all we want.

Pray Specifically to Our Heavenly Father (7-8)

What Jesus speaks of here is the condemnation for senseless, mindless, rote incantation and recitations that are more like pagan rituals.

Meaningless repetition (NASB); Empty phrases (ESV); Vain repetitions (NKJV)...

The word used here is onomatopoetic word...a word that sounds like what it describes...it is to speak in a way that images the kind of speech pattern of one who stammers, use the same words again and again, speak without thinking, to babble...

By referring to the Gentiles, Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience who would have been offended to think their prayers were like that of Gentiles...

Gentiles knew nothing of genuine worship of Jehovah.

They were known for praying before idols and offering prayers of a repetitive and vain nature...repeating a wrote prayer over and over again with no thought or desire in their prayers in hopes of appeasing their false gods or getting them to take notice of their situation.

Don’t pray like a pagan and speak nonsense over and over.

Many words do not equal sincere prayer or a guarantee you will be heard.

God cannot be manipulated by hounding him with silly and empty repetitions.

No need to pray in KJV English.

Matthew 6:8 ““So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

What Jesus says here is don’t approach God as if He is uninformed about our condition and needs us to explain in full detail what our situation happens to be.

He is an omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient Father who knows what we need before we even think we need it!

Some ask then “why pray” if God knows we need it, (whatever “it” is), why doesn’t he just give it to us?”

Those who ask that, miss the point!

Jesus is not condemning the outpouring of our hearts to God when we communicate details God already knows, just read the Psalms.

Much like a parent intimately knows the needs of their children before the children come and ask for them, even more so does our Heavenly Father know.

The type of praying Jesus advocates here is prayer that shows dependance on the only one who has the power to truly grant us what we need!

Jesus is condemning prayer from a spirit of fear and distrust, which causes the pagans who do not know God as their Father, to babble on with long prayers...

The Gentiles believed their gods will not be thoroughly informed or sufficiently moved to grant the requests unless they recite long and scripted prayers.

It is not the quantity of words that moves God, it is the attitude of the heart that moves Him.

There is much more we could say about prayer, but you’ll have to come back next week as Matthew takes us through what Jesus taught about how to pray.

We Need to Check Our Motives When We Fast (16-18)

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that we seldom talk about and one that few practice...but it was common back then.

It was only commanded to be observed by Israel once a year on the Day of Atonement.(Lev 23:27, 29, 32) .

But it was practiced on other occasions for various reasons.

Fasting consists of abstaining from eating, drinking, or even intimacy for the purposes of prayer, spiritual devotion, mourning, grief, and repentance.

Fasting can be corporate or individual (cf. Jonah 3).

Even in the Old Testament we see hypocrisy in fasting... (Isa 58:1–12; Jer 36:9; Joel 2:12–17).

Jesus addresses fasting in a similar way to how he addresses giving and prayer.

There is a clear literary parallel: “So when you give” (v. 2); “When you pray” (v. 5); and “When you fast” (v. 16).

For the NT church, fasting is not required of us, nor is it forbidden, but there are some benefits to it, and if we choose to do it, then Jesus provides much needed counsel for it!

His instructions are similar to when we give and pray.

Don’t Draw Attention to the Fact We Are Fasting (6:16)

He warns us not to be gloomy like the hypocrites when we do.

The word “gloomy” could be translated “sad faced” .

The Pharisees saw this as extremely meritorious and fasted two to four times a week...Luke 18:12...when they fasted they made a point of going to the synagogue looking sad and unkempt..

They wanted people to see them as extremely righteous, so when they fasted it was not to hear from God, it was to receive the accolades from men.

So they would do everything they could to look the part and people would know they were fasting!

They fasted to make a show for men, instead of complete dependance upon God for answers.

Jesus once again reminds us that they succeed in what they are after.

“Truly I say to you they have their reward in full”

The deceptive and dishonest nature of the hypocrites’ fasts may not be perceived by men, but God sees it clearly.

He sees beyond the action to the heart.

He knows well why they are doing what they do.

The temporary and fleeting praise of men is theirs. The eternal and enduring pleasure of the heavenly Father is not.

When We Fast, Just Act Normal (17-18)

Once again Jesus reminds us that our ultimate audience is God, not man.

God should be the focus of our attention and affections in all we do.

Jesus says “anoint your head and wash your face”

This is a first-century way of saying to act normal.

The climate there is hot and extremely dry, which dries out the skin.

So Jesus says to lubricate and soothe your scalp and skin as you would normally do.

The same is true with your face. Wash it.

Why?

Verse 18 provides the answer: Matthew 6:18 “so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

Just like giving and praying, being done in secret means it is sincere, away from the eyes of others.

God looks beyond the externals and examines the heart...we cannot fool Him...In fact, we should never forget that He sees everything and his opinion matters most.

And here is the Lord’s promise to us all: “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

The Father in heaven who sees the silent gift, the private prayer, and the unnoticed fast will bless you with eschatological and heavenly reward.

His reward might come later, but it will be so much better.

We should reject any talk about “this being our best life now.”

When we are in a relationship with Jesus as his faithful disciple, we have a great life now.

However, when we join him in heaven with your heavenly Father, it will be even better.

He will reward we.

We can count on it!

Lesson for Life: Although many may see us, we are to live out our faith before an audience of One!

Although Jesus only dealt with giving, prayer, and fasting, what he says applies to all we do.

The practice of spiritual disciplines and all acts of service, are all acts of worship and the bottom line is that our worship of God must be sincere!

Remember the hypocrite is someone who deliberately maintains a false image!

The way we overcome hypocrisy is to check our motives!

No one else can check our motives for us...motives are a heart issue!

God sees every action and knows every motivation.

What motivates us to do what we do?

What are we trying to accomplish by doing what we are doing?

What motivates us to not do what we don’t do?

What reasons do we give to God for not doing what He has told us to do?

He, and he alone, is the one we should concern ourselves with.

Jesus clearly understood that all that matters in life is that we please God.

2 Corinthians 5:9 NASB95

Therefore we also have as our ambition (motivation — added for clarification), whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

No matter how hard we try to rearrange the ashes, God sees the heart!