Matters of the Heart Matt.6:1-4

1. Practice Righteousness with a warning.

*From the beginning of this sermon Jesus has been teaching on matters of the heart. My heart still says the key to these verses are in the beginning. We should be poor in spirit, mournful for our sins and others, meek and hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God.

*That God has given the believer a task and that is to be the salt and light of the earth and we are to uphold his word with all that we have. We are to put away anger, lust and divorce and love others the same way that God loves us unconditionally. We are to go the extra mile to show the love of God to others and even our enemies and love them.

*Jesus starts out chapter six with a warning. There is a question we must ask ourselves every time we come to worship, every time we assemble to serve the Lord. WHY I AM DOING THIS AND FOR WHOM AM I DOING THIS FOR?

*Why did we assemble here this morning and for whom are we assembled for?

*The warning is to beware- to pay attention to our acts of righteousness. Jesus is instructing the disciples to beware of the things we do in serving the Father. We are to pay close attention to our hearts to make sure there is no other reason that we are doing these acts of obedience except for to be obedient, so that others would see our good works and give God the glory. You see Jesus said let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify the Father.

*Why to beware- Because there is a great temptation to all to seek the applause of men.

*Our acts of righteousness is not for others, but for God. Think about it without a new heart and life in Christ would anyone of us lend a helping hand. Our acts of righteousness is from a relationship with God that extends to others and they get to experience the mercy and grace of God.

*So we need to ask ourselves a question. Do we seek to rob God of the glory he deserve for the applause of man?

*Do we practice our righteousness from a love for God, a love for others, and a love to be obedient to God’s word or do we do it for vain glory the bible says? Do we do it to be lifted up or to gain the interest from others? So that we may be called a good person.

*John 12:41–43 “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

*Are we willing to practice our faith regardless of what others will say of us?

*Proverbs 27:21 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.”

*1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

God will bring to light the things that are done and in the matter in which they were done. Those things done in secret to serve the Lord.

*Notice something. We are to be practicing the righteousness of God.

*It is understood that we are to be practicing our faith in God.

*James 2:14-26 says that faith without works is dead. Meaning it is not alive.

*v.2 When you? What if we looked at v1. And said When you are

*Why is it that we question ourselves on whether or not we should help others? We are not to facilitate laziness, but they are real needs around us and as God chosen people we are to practice our faith to them.

*v1. Says we should be practicing our faith in Christ. ARE WE? We should practice righteousness for the simple fact that we love God and He commands us to obey Him!

*There should be a test for us and that is are we practicing our faith.

*James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” The test of pure religion is what we do with what we say we believe. Do we practice what we say we believe?

*Proverbs 28:27 “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.” How can we say we have faith and close our eyes to the needs of others, especially those of the faith.

*1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

*Where do we practice our righteousness? In the most seen places in our lives, the synagogues, the streets or behind closed doors. This leads us to our next point.

2. Play not your trumpet.

*The disciples would have known what Jesus was talking about with a trumpet whether figuratively speaking or literally. We do not hear many trumpets play in our day except at a ball game. The disciples would have heard them blow at feasts, from the O.T. when the enemy was coming and the recognition of rulers. At the feast of trumpets everyone would celebrate , whether rich or poor. The poor relied on the offerings or the gifts from the rich. So the trumpet was relevant to the disciples. Not only did they know it by the feasts, but by the trumpet shaped offering boxes in the temple. That as you walked by and dropped your coins in, it would not blow, but make a sound to know that you gave. What Jesus was trying to share with them and us is we are not to practice our righteousness to be seen or heard.

*So When you give, Do we give in the most seen places in our lives, the church, the streets or do we try to be discrete where only God sees? The point is not where or how, but why we give and that is to glorify God and be obedient to Him.

*We should worship, serve and give all for the audience of one. The Lord Jesus Christ.

*Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

*Says unless your righteousness exceeds. What is Jesus talking about. Not that we must do more, but we must be about practicing our faith and not sounding a trumpet. We must serve Christ and the Father, because we love them and want to serve them for the great things they have done.

*We must not give or serve the Lord in a way that draws attention to us and not to the Father.

*V.3 Jehoash was King of Judah. 2 Kings 12:9 “Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.”

*The disciples may have understood this phrase.

*In this scene the temple chest for the offering was on the right hand of the temple. Maybe in the day of Christ the offering chest was their on the right side of the court. Either way it makes no difference the point in v. 3 is that we are not to make a big deal even to ourselves about how we serve the Lord. Do not dwell on your gifts or your offerings. Just serve the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving.

*In the bible what usually does the left represent. foolishness, those that error. Ecclesiastes 10:2 “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.”

*Jesus said there will be a day where He will separate the sheep from the goats one on the left and the other on the right. Matthew 25:31–33 ““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”

*Prize the Father’s Reward

*In three of these verses Jesus mentions something a reward. I know many of us are thinking we do not do it for a reward. We shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean there is not one to gain. You do not here much preaching or teaching on the crown’s or rewards, because we serve out of love for the Father and what all He has done for us by giving us His Son to die for us and to save us from our sin. Jesus clearly says here that there is a reward to gain or to obtain. The only choice is which reward we want. The one offered by man or the one God has in store for all who love and serve Him.

*v.1 you will have no reward, v.2 you have received your reward.

*Jesus said if we practice our righteousness before men the reward they are willing to give is all we will get. v.2 uses the word received- which means paid in full. That means they will be no chance of getting even an ounce of a reward from God. That means we were aiming to get the applause of man and we got just that. Here is a thought for us on this subject. We get what we aim for. So we must decide in our service to whom are we looking to please. The bible is clear and Jesus says himself that there is a reward. So we must ask ourselves have I spent my life trying to gain the applause of others or have I sought to please God in they way I worship, the way I serve, the way I live my life, and the way I do missions.

*Jesus says the Father will reward. v4. This verse indicates that God sees everything we do in the public eye and out of the public eye and will reward everyone who faithfully serves him with the right heart.

*James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

*Colossians 3:23–24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

*1 Peter 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

*2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

*Revelation 22:12 ““Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

*2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

*1 Corinthians 3:12–15 “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

*There is for certain when Christ returns he will have our rewards with Him.

*Have you this morning been practicing your righteous, your worship, your faith for the Lord, or for the recognition of the world. Jesus is teaching the disciples and us to beware of the reason why we do what we do for the Lord. If the Spirit has spoken to your heart the altar is open.

*You maybe here this morning and have never thought about the Lord’s return or the rewards. You may have never given much thought about your life and eternity. God’s word teaches that there is a heaven and hell as a reward. If the Spirit is speaking to your heart would you come and lay all of who you are for all of what Christ has to offer you. If you will repent, confess and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ He will save you.