Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Self Applause
Jesus tells us that when we practice our acts of piety (giving to the needy, praying, fasting, etc…) we are not to be looking for self applause.
Yet, too often people do these acts to say “Look at me.” Jesus highlights over and over again that the reward we see from the applause of others, and ourselves, will be our only reward.
HE encourages us to desire the applause from God for what we do… Our greatest reward is the reward our Heavenly Father will give us!
This is kind of interesting if you compare what Jesus says in this passages about our acts of piety and what Jesus has already said...
In the passages we read this morning, Jesus says to do things secretly and not in ways that others know what you are doing.
But, in chapter 5, and earlier in the sermon, Jesus says we are salt and light and we do good deed publicly...
What on earth is Jesus saying?
This is really confusing!! Are we supposed to do things that others see?
Are we supposed to do things secretly?
The answer lies in who is doing the applauding...
Piety and prayer for God's glory - NOT OUR OWN...
It's not for show!!
In all that Jesus has said, he has said that God should be the one glorified by what we do… We are not the ones who get applauded - God is!
This is why I have a personal problem with church trophies, accolades, awards, certificates etc...
Too many times we use these to say, "Hey look at me/our church We're great at Bible quizzing, or basketball, or missions giving etc..." All the while we should be saying, "LOOK AT GOD! PRAISE GOD!!!"
Thoughts About Prayer
Prayer is not just about and with words.
Prayer is an exercise that includes our mind, emotions, and even physical body (as it includes our actions and personal response to our own prayers).
Often, prayer is for us and OUR relationship with God, but it affects the world around us.
Brief thoughts on the Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a scaffold for prayer, not necessarily the structure...
It helps with the structure of prayer.
And, for many it could be a good structure.
However, I do believe there is a warning in believing that this is the ONLY WAY we should pray.
There is also danger in believing that if we pray this prayer, or pray this way, God will give us WHATEVER we pray out.
WRONG!
Prayer is hardly about you… It is about your conversation with your Heavenly Father!
Our Father = Daddy!!
We have a relationship with the Creator who LOVES US as dearly loved children!
This is a family relationship!
Not a business, master/slave, relationship.
The relationship we can have with God through Jesus Christ allows us to call God DADDY!!
Revere God's Holiness
Don't invoke God's blessing into something God shouldn't / wouldn’t bless.
Ask for GOD'S will to be done
This re- centers us around God's reign.
That ultimately, it is God's will/plan/desire that we want done.
This also causes us to pause and allow ourselves to be redirected according to God's plan.
Give us what we need for today
Daily bread.
This reminds me of manna in the desert - there was just enough for everyday.
This phrase asks God to give us the bare necessities for each day.
But, coupled with God's holiness and God's desires to be done, this phrase also calls us to be mindful not only of our own needs, but also of the needs of others.
Sometimes, when we truly pray, we hear God encourage us to do our part to answer our prayers (with the power he makes available to us).
Forgive us so we can forgive others
Jesus is NOT saying that our forgiveness from God is dependent upon our ability to forgive others.
But, he is saying that if we have TRULY accepted forgiveness from God we would be willing to forgive others.
Jesus does not say this is easy or that it comes naturally.
It's not easy, it's not natural - that is why we have to pray for the ability to do this...
Lead us not into temptation and deliver us
We prefer NOT to have to go through temptation/testing.
So, we pray we can avoid that.
But, if God desires us to be tempted/tested, then we pray we are delivered from the snares, traps, lies of the evil one...
Remember, The Lord's Prayer is a scaffold for prayer, not necessarily the structure
Lukewarm Prayer
But, many of us have a lukewarm prayer life...
We can have conversations with the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe and we can call him DADDY and yet we often ignore this!!!
We're lukewarm... lukewarm in a lot of our piety, but prayer especially doesn't have to be!
WAR ROOM...
Lukewarm coffee
Kittens vs lions meme
Kids praying the alphabet
Let’s Take Prayer and Piety Seriously
Take some time and do some prayer battle...
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