Shut the Door

Mt. 6:5-8

Title: Shut the Door Scripture: Mt. 6:5-8

Closing hymn: In the Secret

Matthew 6:5–8 ““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. 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. “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.”

To know:

You are invited into a secrecy. God wants a private relationship with you outside of Church, small groups, Bible studies, and group retreats. You are invited into a secret relationship with Him. This is His great desire and hope that it will become yours as well.

To do:

However, to do so, will require privacy, solitude, silence, and intentional rhythms that prioritize this great invitation and ensure that you have adequate space, time, privacy, and quietness of mind… to shut the door.

Related Scriptures:

Jesus shut the door to doubt when praying for Jairus daughter.

40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mk 5:40–43). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

We need to follow Jesus example and put them all outside. All of the doubts and fears and expectations of others and take His hand. He is saying to us, “Little one, I say to you, arise!” For those of us who have felt chained to the bed, lethargic, and dying, won’t you shut the door and take His hand? Receive His life in you today!

Jesus baptism and the Father’s voice.

Luke 5:15–16 “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (NIV)

Noticings:

The reward is for those who have an audience of One. Let the boo’s come from crowds as long as He is clapping.

Shut the door to the distractions, busyness, pleaseing others, drivenness, watching the clock, efficiency, productivity, earning, posturings, hiding, shame, lies, and false self, etc.

Jesus shut the door to doubt when praying for Jairus daughter.

Shut the door to vainglory and the enemy.

This is not a command to be afraid of but an invitation to time with Him, to union, to love to solitude.

Men and women of prayer, of God, of great maturity are those acquainted with this solitude for they have come to know there can be no substitute for it, no greater remedy to false humility and pride. They lose their power in solitude for they have no feed, no audience, et.

Deepen me oh God in the closet mindset. Help me shut the door.

Sermon:

Good morning, beloved! That is who you are! If you have received the LORD Jesus Christ into your life, you are now His beloved child.

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The New International Version (1 John 3:1). (2011). Zondervan.

I’m so excited to share this word with you because I believe that the LORD wants so much more for you and intimacy with you. May you receive it and go into deeper places with Him.

But first, I’d like to tell you about something that happened to me, recently.

Shutting the Door on Yellow Jackets!

October 1st, on a Wednesday, I was headed on a personal retreat to a monastery I go to every quarter for a few days of prayer, quiet, reflection, etc. in silence and solitude. I needed to get some of the yard mowed before I left as it had gotten way too long due to travel and busyness and our little dogs couldn’t find a place to go to the bathroom! I got up early enough to get most of it done before I left and I had just finished most of what I was going to mow that morning when I felt like I got punched in the face!

I fell to the ground in my rush to get away from more stings from the swarm of yellow jacket wasps that had attacked me. My glasses fell off in the process, but I quickly was able to find and grab them and begin running towards the house, up the stairs, across the deck, into the porch where the door was already open and then into the house. Although I shut the door 10 yellow jackets followed me in that I know of. I was screaming and trying to get away the whole time.

In the end, I had at least 16 stings on my body. But when I shut the door, even though they followed me in, they were so disoriented, they didn’t sting again. Although there were 10 that came in my house, I was safe. Treva, my wife, came to my aid. We found them all and killed them. They weren’t able to fly as well in the colder air and we quickly eradicated them.

Outside are all kinds of things that cut, wound, bite, and sting, but inside… we are safe... when we shut the door.

Jesus calls us to shut the door as well in Matthew 6.

The Passage

Matthew 6:5–8 ““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. 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. “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.”

I’d like to read that again another time. Perhaps a word or phrase will catch your attention. There are a few that I’d like to focus on, but see where the LORD directs your attention.

Matthew 6:5–8 ““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. 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. “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.”

Jesus wants us to receive the reward of His presence which always brings freedom.

God doesn’t want our prayers to be driven by the affirmations or expectations of others, by group think, by our insecurities and fear. That would be praying to be seen by people. The prayer closet is to be seen by God and to see Him. Jesus warns against religious activities to curry favor with others or to be seen by others as holy. Praying with big fancy words or faking passion in prayer in front of others isn’t going to bring you any closer to God, but it might make others think that you are more spiritual than they are. But what good is that in the long run? When you pray like that, you aren’t even addressing God and this passage warns that you have already received your reward.

Ministry and Christian Leadership Expectations can affect your posture in prayer

This gets easier if you begin taking a lead role in the Church like leading a Bible study, worship, being a deacon, elder, or teacher, etc. People will expect you to look and sound a certain way and if you aren’t careful, you can begin “performing” in prayers that aren’t even said to Him. They were prayers for others to hear and Jesus says that when you do that, you have received your reward.

My Experience:

I can speak to this from experience. There is an expectation that is put on you. I have been in various ministry roles and in each one there are expectations of what you and others feel that you should present to everyone. How you should pray, speak, think, when you can laugh, how you should dress, etc. If you aren’t careful, you can become a persona, a mask, a fake, a two face rather than be authentic. I have felt the pull to be a certain way. Perhaps it helps that I’m a bit neurodivergent. I don’t like society or groups or people dictating to me what to do. I have often, sometimes at great cost, broken with tradition or societal norms to be myself. The more I lean in to this secret place with the LORD, the less the boos bother me. I had to learn to shut the door

Jesus and Expectations:

Jesus knew the pull of ministry and people. They were constantly coming to Him with the needs, desires, and expectations, yet He only did what He saw the Father doing in the secret prayer closet.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. The New International Version (Jn 5:19–20). (2011). Zondervan.

Jesus was driven not by what others wanted or their affirmations, but by what He saw the Father doing. How much more do we need that? Do you have a hard time breaking away from other’s expectations of you? Do you have trouble saying no? Are you afraid to get too close to God because of what He might ask of you? Time with God can heal this fear of not meeting other’s expectations. Fear of people. Fear of failure. Fear of negative comments about what you do. Fear melts in His presence. When Jesus’s brothers said he should make a name for Himself by going up to the feast in Jn 7, Jesus wasn’t moved by that. He could say no to them, because of His yes to the Father.

We need to have an audience of One.

So much so that the world can jeer at us, boo and hiss at us, look negatively upon us, but if we know that God is saying He is pleased with us, we can be confident and joyful. Jesus heard that from the Father before He began His ministry.

Jesus would withdraw from even the largest of gatherings. He would “shut the door” often to be with the Father and it was the secret to His authority, power, and ability to say and do the difficult things. The Father’s Presence makes all the difference.

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5.16, NIV)

Humility is a Magnet for God’s Presence

Jesus is so very humble and His life is marked by the presence of God.

Philippians 2:6–8 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Pharisee and Tax Collector Prayers

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” The New International Version (Lk 18:9–14). (2011). Zondervan.

Jesus talks about this Pharisee and tax collector that were both praying, but one was self-righteous and the other was humble. The tax collector had no fancy words and probably few Scriptures memorized enough to impress anyone, but it was he who went away right before God. That is what we are after.

In Andrew Murray’s book, Humility, he says that

“Humility is the only soil in which the graces take root; the lack of humility is the reasonable explanation for every defect and failure in the Christian life. Humility is not so much a blessing or attribute along with others; it is the root of all. It alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him to sanctify.”

Solomon, Mary, James, and Peter affirm that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. The New International Version (Jas 4:7–8). (2011). Zondervan.

If shutting the door is getting alone with God in prayer, humility helps to lock the door and usher us to the seat next to Him.

Posture is Important when meeting with the King

You wouldn’t double book a meeting with a king would you?

You wouldn’t be on your phone in a meal with your favorite celebrity would you?

You wouldn’t doomscroll your social media feed while being physically intimate with your spouse would you?

You would give them your full attention! How much more your heavenly Father?

So let’s get into some practics about establishing a prayer closet with the Father.

Process:

Open the door

Schedule a time to be with Him and guard it with your life!

If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Start small, but get it on the calendar. The first step is creating space.

Ask the LORD when you could/should schedule this. Take 1 minute in silence. I’ll hold the time for you.

DIN: Do It Now= When can you schedule time with the LORD for Monday? For how long? Is this time SMART? Set an event on your phone’s calendar with a reminder on your phone.

Let’s take 60 seconds together now. I’ll hold the time for you.

Designate a place to be WITH Him.

Do you have a sacred space? Is it conducive to meeting with Him?

Create a space to meet with Him. This could be a special room in the house, a holy commute, a bench at a park, a coffee shop (headphones required), etc.

DIN: Do It Now=Where will you meet with Him?

Ask the LORD and reflect on where you could/should schedule this. Let’s take 60 seconds together now. I’ll hold the time for you.

Where can you schedule this time with the LORD for Monday?

Let’s take 60 seconds together now to add the location to your event/reminder. I’ll hold the time for you.

Great!

Accountability:

Now that you have it on the calendar and know where it is, you just have to follow through. Is the invitation enough of a motivation for you? Would it help to share this with someone?

DIN: Take a minute and text someone you trust when and where you are going to spend some time with the LORD tomorrow. Ask them to ask you how it went sometime after your time with God. It might help if you had a friend doing it at the same time and you could return the favor. Maybe that friend is in the room right now ;)

Let’s take 60 seconds together now. I’ll hold the time while you text.

Go through the door.

Actually go through with it. This was an appointment you set up with the LORD. If someone wants that time, you can tell them in all honesty that you already have an appointment.

Shut the door

This is about privacy, presence, and proximity.

What do you need to leave outside the door so that you can be present with Him?

Are other things, people, situations, etc. on your mind when you go in? Push them outside. Shut that door!

Sit with the LORD

What do you do in this time? He later tells us how to pray not that we would literally pray those words, but that they cover everything in the LORD’s prayer. This isn’t about accomplishing things or praying the right words. It is about withness. Being with Him. Sometimes that means pouring out your heart before Him. Sometimes He may want to reveal or share something with you. Many times, He just wants to be with you. It is like any real relationship, if you want depth it will have all of these components.

In Armchair Mystic, Mark Thibedeaux talks about praying at God, to God, listening to God, and just being with God.

How do you leave?

Did you allow yourself to respond to Him? To be changed by Him? How will you hold on to what happened in the prayer closet? In the sacred space? Is there anything that you need to write down? Did God put anyone on your heart to pray for or show love/service to? When will you do that? Do you trust yourself to follow through with it? Do you need to share the action plan with someone? If God wants it to remain private that is fine. This passage in Scripture is more about your motivations for prayer and the invitation to meeting with God in solitude.

Lastly, when do you plan to return? Can I urge you to make this a regular thing?

Just like I found safety from the swarm when I shut the door, we find refuge from the noise of the world when we enter the secret place with God.

Gospel Appeal

Perhaps this seems strange to you. Maybe you don’t have a definite belief in God yet. Maybe this is your first exposure to the Bible and Christians, worship and prayer. That’s ok. God is patient with you and oh so loving. He is calling you to Himself. He has sent you many emails, but you have missed them. Your unbelief has sent them to the spam folder. Your busyness has kept you from checking that folder. But if you are quiet and open… you can hear Him calling for you. He wants you. He created you. And though you have lived in ways that dishonored yourself, others, and Him…

He has provided a means of reconciliation. The dishonorable things you have done have been taken care of. The great Jesus has taken all of our shame on Himself. The most honorable of all beings lived a perfect life and willing allowed Himself to be publicly shamed and humiliated before His family, friends, neighbors, relatives, and government.

This was all done on the cross when He was executed completely naked for all to see. He took our shame and disgrace on that day so that we who put our faith and trust in Him can be reconciled to God. This is the good news. If you would like to receive His reconciliation, freedom from fear and shame and be put in right relationship with God, believe on Him now. Put your faith in Him now. Go into the prayer closet with Him now and invite Him to come inside you and reveal Himself to you. If you’d like to do that just place the palms of your hands face up now in a posture of receptivity, a posture of welcome.

Follow Up

If you prayed that prayer or opened your heart to Him today, consider telling someone or writing it down. Let this be the beginning of a new journey.