Mission Possible pt 7
Notes
Transcript
Hypocrite — Actor — One who pretends to be what one is not
Hypocrite — Actor — One who pretends to be what one is not
1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Everyday, we have a choice to make… Amen? Either we will place ourselves in obedience to God, or to our own will…
Genesis 22:2 tells us that God told Abraham:
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”
Can you imagine Abraham’s reaction? Can you imagine what he might have been thinking?
I can imagine… Abraham turned pale, sick. This was not only the son of his old age but the one designated to be his “seed.” Had God lied? Was this the demand of a rational God? Surely old Abraham, bubbling with emotion, longed to talk it over with someone. Why not Sarah?
But if he had, he might have talked himself out of doing what God commanded...
I don’t think we fully understand what Abraham went through… You see… God sent Abraham to Mount Moriah, which was three days travel from his home… So Abraham got up early, saddled his donkey, strapped the prepared wood on the beast, and with two servants and his son, Isaac, set out on the journey....
I don’t think even those who have lost a son or daughter can understand the impact of the command for Abraham to offer his son as a “burnt offering.” It turns one’s blood cold to even think about it… It’s inconceivable! How could a “loving” God demand such a thing?!?
You see… Everything in Abraham died in that moment, except his obedience… And his agony lasted three days!
On that final day… when they had reached the “place of execution”… While agonizingly enduring Isaac’s heartbreaking questions… Abraham built an altar… placed the wood… and bound his son… Then… with hands trembling from the anguish he would suffer, Abraham raised the knife, preparing to slay his son…
If God had winked… if God had hesitated even just an instant… Isaac would have been dead!
But He didn’t… In that awful moment, an angel cried out: “Abraham, Abraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Never in history has such obedience been recorded, EXCEPT at Calvary!
I wonder… Are we that obedient?
When God commands us to do something… especially something we don’t like… are we that obedient?
It’s easy for us to say “Yes!” But… the truth is… when it comes to giving, we are often like that farmer who was visited by his pastor…
You see… as they sat there on his front porch, looking out over his farm, admiring the beauty, and chatting about life… The pastor asked him, “If you had one hundred horses, would you give me fifty?”
“Certainly!” said the farmer.
“If you had one hundred cows, would you give me fifty?”
“Of course!” said the farmer.
“If you had two pigs, would you give me one?”
“Now cut that out, pastor, you know I have two pigs!”
It’s easy for us to give to people we know… and to things we agree with… but when the command is to give what we have very little of, it becomes a different story, doesn’t it?
That’s why we make excuses… that’s why we develop ways around it, amen?
Think about it… Very few of us have an abundance of money… very few of us can give without it hurting a little… amen?
That’s why we say: “Giving is not just about money.” Which is true. Giving is about our time… our talents… our strengths… and our weaknesses… It’s about being a shoulder to cry on… being there to lend a helping hand… serving…
But… can I tell you this… If our giving stops there… if we stop our giving at just our time and talents — using the excuse of “I don’t have money”— then we are not obeying God, but the world…
1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Notice that Jesus did not say “IF you give...” He said “WHEN you give...”
Christ expects us to give! (And YES, He is talking about money!)
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James words here sound a lot like Jesus’s, don’t they?
1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
James says — “True Religion — religion that pleases God — is not fancy buildings, pageantry, fame, wealth,… it is this: ‘to Care for the widows and orphans — the lost and downtrodden, the outcast — of this world… AND to keep yourself undefiled by the things of this world.”
We cannot take care of the “widows and orphans” in the world, without money.... nor can we keep ourselves “undefiled by the world” by using the excuses — and following the thinking — of the world!
Think about this…
What does the world say about the Church when it comes to money?
(the Church just wants our money)
Why do they say that?
(because that is what they have seen)
They have seen a church that values money more than it values God!
They have seen a church that values extravagant buildings… fancy video and broadcasting abilities… technology… and fame… over people!
They have seen pastors… evangelists… and priests who value money and fame over the Kingdom!
I have known — and watched — pastors, young and old, who will not go to a church that calls them, and needs them, because “they can’t pay me a living salary.”
I have watched many young pastors leave churches — before God can even move — because “they could pay me the salary I deserve!”
I have watched pastors bankrupt the ministries of the churches they are at with their salary requirements, because they value their pay, and their lifestyle, more than they do people!
And this is not to even mention the many examples of Churches and pastors bringing in millions of dollars from people, but giving absolutely nothing back!
We can all name those, right?
Is it any wonder that the world views “giving” in the Church this way?!
We are not supposed to value money more than God — that means placing people above money in this world!!!
2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
There are three lessons that Christ is trying to teach us in this passage:
We are EXPECTED to give!
2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
Jesus didn’t say “IF you give...” He said, “WHEN you give...”
Giving is not an option!
What is “alms”?
Alms = “Money or food given to the poor.”
Doesn’t that sound a lot like James’s words?
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
That doesn’t mean that it is all about money… It can be taking those extra blankets, clothes, coats, … that we all have laying around in our closets and giving them to someone who needs them.
It can be buying two cans of every canned vegetable we need so we can fill up our food pantry for others who need it…
It can be seeing that “beggar” — that “panhandler” on the side of the road, and NOT deciding they are “crooks” but trusting God to work in their lives, and giving them the money that God tells us to give… even if it is our last twenty bucks!
It means taking care of the needs of people in the way in which God directs us to… and that includes praying for them — NOT LATER, but right then!
It means “Seeing a need” and “Filling that need!”
As Christians, that is a part of our life!
We share all that we have!
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”
Do we give all that we have?
2. We are not to “give” like the world — like hypocrites...
2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
(example of how giving was done in the synogogue)
Is that how we give in this world today?
Take a look at this:
(play YouTube videos)
That last video, the people kept praising God… did you notice that he even started “pretending” to be a “good Christian” as well?!?
Let me ask you — Is that how Jesus gave?
NO! Everytime Jesus gave — every time He helped someone, He told them the same thing: “Don’t tell anyone — give the glory to God.”
So… If we are Christians — if we are FOLLOWERS of Christ — why do we act like the people in the videos?
Because it “feels” good! It “feels” good to receive praise… to get those “likes” on Facebook… to have that YouTube, or TikTok video go viral… We crave Fame — Recognition — Praise…
But we shouldn’t…
“To stand with a penny in one hand and a trumpet in the other is a posture of hypocrisy” — Spurgeon
We should only crave the praise of the Father!
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
God’s approval should be all that we need!
3. Don’t let yourself know what you give.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
I don’t know about you, but every time I have read this verse, my mind says the same thing: “What?!”
How does that work? How can we not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing?
What does that even mean?! What isJesus saying?!
It means this: “We are not supposed to DWELL on our GIVING.”
Jesus is saying: “Give and Forget!”
You see… It is not about what we give — or how much — it is about our heart!
It’s not about the money… its about what our heart is thinking.
There are three possibilities of where our heart is in our giving… and they are all true to all of us!
Seeking the praises of men.
Quietly congratulating ourselves.
Desire the approval of God.
Jesus knows that most often, we fall into the trappings of the first two… so He says:
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
We are not to be “self-conscious” in our giving, because “self-consciousness” will deteriorate into “self-righteousness.”
When that happens, we become “self-righteous” in our giving?
We get prideful…
We get judgmental…
We get controlling…
2 All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
We may think we are doing right… but we may not be!
Our giving is NOT about ourselves… it is about God!
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
It is God that we are REALLY giving to… think about that…
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’
40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
If we think only about what we have left for ourselves… or what we “gain” from giving… or what they are going to do with it if we give… WE LOSE!!!
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Let me tell you — God is watching!!!!
Lk 21:1-4 is probably my absolute favorite story in the Bible.... (tell the story)
1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury;
2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
4 for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”