The Motivation of Authentic Christian Righteousness

Can anyone tell me what the portion of Scripture we’ve been studying is called? (Sermon on the Mount)

What are some themes we’ve studied or learned?

Jesus is giving us a snapshot in this sermon to his disciples of what it looks like to live like Jesus. Learning from Jesus what it means to live like Jesus. Being discipled by Christ.

What is Jesus primarily concerned about when he looks at us? heart. But that does not mean that Jesus doesn’t care about our outward actions.

And throughout chapter 6 Jesus is going to connect the dots a little for us. He’s connecting inward motivation with outward action. He’ll do this specifically through three different Christian disciplines — giving, praying, and fasting.

Our lesson tonight is entitled The Motivation of Authentic Christian Righteousness. So here’s an opening question: What are some different motivations that someone could have when doing “righteous deeds”/Christian disciplines?

Boys, what is a Christian discipline? (reading the Bible, prayer, giving, attending church, etc.) Give an illustration of the piano. (scales, arpeggios, chords, theory, etc.)

Ask yourself this question: What is your motivation when performing Christian disciplines?

Our passage tonight exposes three different motivations for us to consider. Jesus will use the discipline of giving as the example to illustrate how a motivation may play out.

Let’s read the whole passage, and then we’ll go back through and talk it out.

Matthew 6:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Can anyone find the first motivation?

PRAISE OF MEN (vs.1-2)

Matthew 6:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Christ identifies Christians who operate with a motivation to please men as hypocrites.

Why do you think Jesus uses the language of hypocrite?

People-pleasers say they are committed to Jesus but live captivated by the praise of men.

What is the consequence for someone who lives or gives for the praise of men?

There is no reward from God for those who seek it from men. — Martin Lloyd-Jones

People-pleasers are enslaved to others. If you seek to have your righteousness seen by others, this will happen. You will have your reward. Yet, it will be only temporary. There is no lasting reward/satisfaction for those who trumpet their righteousness before others — only the fleeting praise of men.

*Jesus and the crowds

What do you think of someone who lives for the praise of men? (fake, don’t really believe, etc.) Can you tell who these people are?

How can you tell if you live for the praise of men?

Are you satisfied if no one sees your good deeds?

Do you pretend to be righteous to receive the praise of men?

Do you neglect your relationship with God in the pursuit of the praise of men?

Ok, so Jesus then takes it a step further when diagnosing our motivation for righteousness.

PRAISE OF SELF (vs.3)

Matthew 6:3 KJV 1900

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

Can you reject the praise of men while still acting out of a wrong motivation? How?

Jesus condemns both—the applause of others and the applause of self. It’s not just wrong to crave men’s praise; it’s just as wrong to crave your own.

Jesus labels the one who seeks the praise of men and the one who seeks the praise of self as one thing — a hypocrite.

Maybe you look at someone and say, I can totally tell they’re a hypocrite and therefore make yourself feel better about your motivation, spiritual maturity, etc. You know what you sound like? God I thank you that I’m not like some men are… You sound like a self-congratulating hypocrite.

There are only two people who know the true motivations of your heart — you and God.

How can you tell if you live for the praise of self?

Are you satisfied if no one sees your good deeds?

Do you pretend to be righteous to receive the praise of self?

Do you neglect your relationship with God in the pursuit of the praise of self?

But Jesus leaves us with the ideal motivation of Christian righteousness:

PRAISE OF GOD (vs.3-4)

Matthew 6:3–4 KJV 1900

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Authentic Christian righteousness flows from a motivation to please God alone.

Authentic Christian righteousness is not an external manifestation only, but one of the secret things of the heart. — Stott

How can you tell if you live for the praise of God?

You will have an internal desire to honor and glorify God in all you do, from daily tasks to your relationships. 

You will look to your heart, thoughts, and intentions, not just your actions, to see if they are aligned with God's will. 

You may find yourself denying your natural desire for honor and human approval, choosing instead to please God. 

You perform duties and actions not just when people are watching, but in secret as well, knowing that you are in God's presence. 

You regularly read and study scripture to understand what pleases God and guide your actions. 

What’s the greatest reward you’ve ever seen offered?

Olympic athletes have received a variety of remarkable gifts for their achievements. Some notable examples include a lifetime supply of free meatballs or beer, and in some cases, combinations of items like five cows and a house. Many countries reward their top athletes with luxury items such as cars, apartments, or other valuable real estate. Some athletes have even received comprehensive prize packages, potentially including a luxury apartment, a holiday home, a new van, free petrol, and free commercial flights for life.

Let me say, if you’re living for a reward then you have a wrong motivation.

Jesus says that God will reward those who secretly give their alms (do righteousness) for his praise only. Now what’s the reward?

Our Christian giving is to be neither before men (waiting for the clapping to begin), nor even before ourselves (our left hand applauding our right hand’s generosity) but ‘before God’, who sees our secret heart and rewards us with the discovery that, as Jesus said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ — John Stott

The reward of a rightly motivated Christian is eternal: serving others with a heart fixed solely on God’s glory.

As we begin chapter 6 tonight, here’s a snapshot of what Jesus is trying to teach us:

A Christian lives his life in this world in the presence of God, in active submission to God, and in entire dependence upon Him. — Martin Lloyd-Jones

We must remember — We live always in the presence of God who observes our actions and sees our motivations.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Why do you think it’s so easy to want the praise of people—or even to pat ourselves on the back—when we do something good?

How can you tell if your motivation is really to honor God and not just to look good in front of others or yourself?

What’s one area in your life right now (school, friendships, church) where you need to shift your motivation from seeking praise to seeking God’s glory?

PRAYER PROMPTS

Pray that God would reveal the hidden motivations of our hearts and help us desire His approval above all else.

Pray for strength to serve, give, and live faithfully even when no one is watching—trusting that God sees in secret.

Pray that our group would grow in authentic righteousness, living to glorify God alone in our school, homes, and church.