Sermon Tone Analysis

A little over a year ago, Jace started a series walking slowly through the Sermon on the Mount.

In it he talked about the imagery of Jesus being like the new Moses as he pulled up a stone and sat down on a mountain, turned water into Powerade and taught his disciples.

During the messages on Jesus’ sermon, Jace carefully and thoughtfully walked through many aspects of the sermon on the mount - but he wasn’t able to finish.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to working through the sermon on the mount.

In case you’ve missed any of his sermons, they are all available online.

Simply go to the website and begin browsing.

In January, he finished off with part of the Lord’s prayer, or as some would say, the model prayer.

Before we dive too deeply into Jesus’ discussion on prayer, I do want to point out that Jesus teaching on prayer seems to be part of a broader point on practicing righteousness - it’s almost a subset of the sermon - much like the “you have heard..., but I say to you” lessons.

Look briefly in - Jesus says “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them....” This statement seems to start a new section in his sermon on righteous acts.

In this section, He covers acts of giving, praying, fasting, work, and anxiety.

In several of them, he addresses the temptation that exists to practice like a hypocrite would - for personal gain and popularity.

In a couple of them, he includes a discussion on how gentiles or non-religious responses.

I tell you that because in our discussion on prayer, we’re picking up right in the middle of a broader point.

It would be an injustice to talk about this without referencing or exposing the overall point that scripture is making.

That being said, let’s open to Matthew chapter 6. We’re going to begin reading in verse 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.

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.

“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.

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

Print.

Let’s pray.

So, as Jesus is talking to His disciples about this what it means to live in the Kingdom of God as Kingdom people, or as Jace said, in an upside down Kingdom, Jesus gets to these acts of righteousness - giving to the needy, praying, fasting and more.

When it comes to praying, this is a discipline that seems elusive to some of us.

It seems like a wonderful privilege to others.

But how do we do it?

Is there a certain way to pray?

Is there a formula or pattern?

I’ve heard people talk about A.C.T.S. - adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.

But is a formula rooted in scripture or is that just an easy thing to remember?

In Jesus’ discussion on prayer, he seems to talk about how to pray and then gives the what to pray and then concludes with an extra exhortation to watch out.

So let’s begin where Jesus does with...

How to Pray ()

Like a good teacher, Jesus not only gives an example of how to do it, but He begins with examples of how not to do it.

Essentially, Jesus seems to be telling His disciples to pray privately and to pray briefly.

Pray Privately ()

The religious leaders, whom Jesus refers to here as hypocrites, were revered in public places.

They were seen as the spiritual giants.

I think for many they were honored and exalted - and it went to their heads.

Have you been in a class when a teacher asked a question and the same person always raised their hand or blurted out the answer?

There are people who do that because they are excited about learning or participating.

There are others who do that because they know the answer and they want you to know that they know.

I think these hypocrites that Jesus is referring to are a bit like that.

When it class and asked to pray, they would gladly stand (which was the normal posture of prayer - everyone would stand when praying) - but then they would wax eloquent with big words and deep phrases to amaze you at their spiritual knowledge.

They might even pray for a long time.

And this is just in the synagogue.

There are other times when it would come time for the hour of prayer - which happened a few times each day, and some of these religious leaders would “happen” to wander into a public square and stop right in the middle of everything to begin praying a loud, self-righteous prayer.

I don’t think Jesus is against praying in public - after all even He did it, but He is against praying for a public audience or public acclaim.

Jesus says that those who pray in this way have already received their reward.

Instead, Jesus’ preference is that we would pray in private, go to where no one can see and pour out our hearts to the Lord.

God sees - and that’s all that matters - we don’t need to seek public acclaim for our prayers.

In addition to praying privately - or at least from a heart that is focused on pleasing God, Jesus seems to be urging his listeners to...

Pray Briefly ()

Instead of focusing on religious leaders, Jesus switches his focus to the irreligious as his example this time.

These are people who might go on and on chanting empty phrases or mantras in order to get the attention of God.

In - Elijah has a spiritual battle with the prophets of Baal.

He calls them to prepare a bull and then pray to their god to put fire to it.

For several hours, they dance around the bull, limping, cutting themselves, crying out with a loud voice, but to no avail.

Only silence.

Elijah, in response, very simply and briefly prayed -

Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

Print.

The one true God answered this simple and straightforward request.

I think the point that Jesus is making is that when we pray, simply pray; talk to God.

Don’t pray to impress the people around you - pray from the heart - privately and briefly.

Don’t try to repeat with spiritual phrases or profound statements, simply call on the Lord.

I have a good friend who used to be in the bad habit of saying “Father God” throughout his prayers.

He says it almost like a verbal pause - like we might say “um.”

Instead for him it’s a spiritual “um.”

I don’t think there is a biblical support for that kind of spiritual language in prayer.

So, after charging the people how to pray: privately and then to pray briefly, Jesus gives some thoughts to...

What to Pray ()

So, imagine the scene here.

Jesus is on the mountain (or hill), and he has just removed from his listeners two visible examples of prayer.

Certainly, in the minds of his disciples, there was no one who was greater at praying than the pharisees.

These guys are spiritual giants.