Why Do You Do What You Do?

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to CCC. I pray you had a great week, this past week was amazing as it was spring break my family and I we were able to rest and recoup in preparation for the sprint to the finish line in May. It was awesome to get to spend most of the days last week in my office here at church working on the sermon and being in the Word. I pray that one day I will be able to do that all the time but in God’s time and His will be done in that situation.

Before we get going I want you to notice in your bulletin there are two additional pieces of paper. One is the sermon handout that you can fill in the blanks and take notes on this morning. The second is a question sheet. My heart and desire is you take that question sheet home and as you wrestle with what God is bringing to you this morning and as you spend time in your secret place this week you honestly answer those questions. I pray that they will help you get more out of your time with God and allow you to see how the Holy Spirit wants to apply the truths from this morning to your life.

Prayer. Start OBS

Matthew 6:1-4

““Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

You Are To Do Good Deeds For God Not For People And Worldly Recognition

Your motive matters more than your actions. Look again at verse 1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

When you do good deeds publicly or for show the reward you receive on earth is your reward.

Most of us don’t do this intentionally but do this in our hearts. When we do good deeds most of us don’t say I am going to do this to gain recognition or fame or men’s praise but our hearts want that praise and recognition.

How do we know, we do the good deed or give to the poor and then get mad that know one noticed or said anything about it.

I spent x amount of hours at that church doing this or that and that pastor never even said one word about it.

I helped and helped that person and they never even once said thank you.

I helped lead the charge to help the homeless in town but the paper never even did an article on it.

That is the last time I help them, they were not even grateful but just expected my help

This is why Jesus spends time talking about this because our hearts can be prideful. Most of us do get good feelings when we do something for someone but we must guard against that becoming why we do something for someone.

Most of the time when you do good deeds people will notice and thank you but that cannot become why you do those things. IT has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Jesus

It is just like why you come to church or Bible study on Wednesday nights. It has nothing to do with your preference but everything to do with surrendering to God and showing up to learn and teach and serve.

Teaching styles vary. Structure varies but what doesn’t vary is that Jesus willingly went to the cross for you but beyond that wants a personal relationship with you and wants you to grow in Him and grow together as His bride the church and children of God. That is why you come to church and Bible studies.

If you don’t come because you don’t like the music or you don’t like how someone teaches you are in it for the wrong reasons. You need to check your heart in that case and get with Jesus!

You don’t need to be blasting facebook with your good deeds because that means you are seeking man’s approval and praise. God doesn’t need facebook posts to know you did something for Him.

Jesus strongly condemns hypocrites

Matthew 23:27-28

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

If we are true Christians then this should be part of our daily secret time. God show me my heart, is my heart like that of the Pharisees clean on the outside but evil on the inside. Show me what stands between me and You.

Look at the description Jesus uses here, whitewashed tombs.......they look beautiful on the outside but can you imagine what the inside looks and smells like. Rotting flesh. That is a disgusting picture but when we live for us, and you choose to call the shots and you choose to praise God on Sunday and cuss out your co-worker on Monday you are like that whitewashed tomb.

Mark 7:6

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

This is something else that as true Christians we should be praying about. God do I honor you with my lips but have a heart that is far from you? You have to be intentional about this because the enemy uses his demons and the world intentionally to get your heart far from God

Are you the same person on Sunday that you are Monday through Saturday?

Are you the same person on Sunday that you are at the lake or the golf course or the dirt track or whatever your hobby is?

Jesus wants your heart not a fake behavior.

You may feel better about yourself but if you do not have a true heart relationship with Jesus you will hear away from me I never knew you and spend eternity in hell.

Doesn’t matter how much good you did,

how many Sundays you attended church,

how much money you gave in tithes, how much you gave to help the poor and needy......

none of that matters if your heart is far from Jesus!!!!!!!!!

Church you must guard your heart and ask God daily to inspect your heart and if it is far from Him surrender whatever it is that is making you far from God!!!!!

Luke 18:9-14

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

Which are you, the Pharisee or the tax collector?

Do you pray and thank God that you are not like the sinners around you?

Do you lift yourself up and put others down in your prayer life or are you like the tax collector and humbly approach God knowing what you have done, what you deserve and understand the mercy that God has shown you in what you get?

Church you must get real with yourself and God here. Your mind and wicked heart,

Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.””

Your heart and mind will make you think you are like the tax collector when really you are like the Pharisee......You have to ask God to search your hearts…HE is the only one who sees it clearly!

This goes beyond prayer. What about your daily life?

What about your thoughts about people......

look at that person I am glad I am not like them.......

look how dirty they are........

boy I have done some bad things but nothing like so and so.

Remember if you think them, not just they enter your brain you take them captive and kick them out, but you dwell on them you truly think them it is the same as saying them because you said it in your heart and that is what Jesus cares about is your heart.

Outcomes Don’t Really Matter Because God Sees All

This is a truth of God. God is a merciful and loving God. God is also a God that demands righteousness, a righteousness we as humans are not capable of achieving. Since that is the case we must truly and fully surrender to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live under full control of the Holy Spirit.

If you try to live under your control you will be religious not righteous. If you try to live under your control you will praise God with your lips but your heart will be far from God.

We get so hung up on the outcomes of our good deeds and giving to the poor: Feeling good about doing it, having someone notice and send us a nice note or give us praise either in person or on facebook.

We get so worried about whether the person deserves the help or appreciates the help or uses the help in the manner that we think they should use it.....that is worrying about the outcome.

If God through the Holy Spirit says do a good deed or help that is the end of it. You do it not for an outcome but to honor and glorify God which is the only outcome that matters.

Don’t Let The Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand is Doing

If you are like me this is something that you may struggle to figure out. Jesus knows that this statement is completely unrealistic, which is why we are not to take it literal. Hands are hands and have no brain or ability to think or know.

The point of the statement is this: do your good deeds in secret, give your alms in secret.

Don’t do it in the public arena with pomp and circumstance.

Don’t blast what you are doing all over social media.

You are doing the good deed or giving to the needy or poor because of your love for Jesus and because Jesus’ love requires and allows us to love our neighbors as ourselves and you want to honor God and point to Jesus.

That is why you give or do good deeds and that is between you and God and only you and God.

Now married couples I am not saying go behind each others backs as the enemy uses financial disagreements to destroy marriages. If you have a budget, which you should have by the way, if you have regular conversations about your budget, which you should have by the way, going behind your spouses back even to give to the poor is not going to strengthen your marriage.

Talk to each other about what you are giving. Come up with a system that works for you and your marriage. There are many options and ways to honor God and Jesus’ teaching and your marriage all at the same time. I would be happy to sit and talk with you and your spouse if you are struggling with how to handle this as well.

God Sees Everything And Will Reward You

Vs 4. This is not a health and wealth statement from God. This is not even speaking of earthly rewards.....many believe that if you give to the needy in the name of Jesus God will repay them ten fold. Not sure that is in the Bible but it for sure is not what is be discussed here.

The Greek word for reward used here refers more to judgment day than right now.

Look at the scripture in vs 1 those who give for all the wrong reasons lose their reward, they are also the same who praise God with their lips but their hearts are far from God. These are Matthew 7 Christians who will hear away from me I never knew you when they stand in judgement

Vs 4 then the reward that God gives you is grace and mercy at judgement because Jesus already paid your debt and because you knew Him your heart was close to Jesus

An earthly reward just doesn’t make sense here or agree with the teaching. Your heart should not be set on anything of this earth as you are no longer of the earth.

We live in the world but not of the world so if that is true. If Jesus truly could have cared less about earthly things including money then why would God tell you to do something in secret and reward you with money? That doesn’t fit.

Your reward is in the time of judgement your heart will be known by Jesus and you will hear well done my good and faithful servant!

I want to close with this point that we get from James

Do What The Word Says

James 1:19-27

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. “

Jesus cares about your heart not your deeds. If you are still struggling with this truth you will also struggle with this passage. We have talked about 19-21 already but they are part of this conversation and needed to be included again today.

The things listed to get rid of are opposite of the gospel of Jesus. Get rid of them.

Look at verse 22 don't just listen to God’s Word you must do what it says. There is no gray area there.

It doesn't say do it if you like it.

Do it if you agree with it.

Do it only if you understand it.

Do it if you have time.

No you must do what it says.

Jesus has just told us how to do our good deeds and give to the needy and poor. He now expects us to do it.

As we end today I want to challenge you with this question,

Is your religion worthless or pure and genuine?

For some of us today was encouraging and edifying because you live this way.

For many of us today was hard, Jesus convicted you today because your heart is not always pure in what you do.

Jesus cares deeply about why you do what you do and so should you. Your motive matters way more than your doing or giving or even the outcome.

If you have met the same Jesus I have met,

a Jesus who gave everything so that I could have everything.

A Jesus who not only died to pay my price and forgive my sins but changes me into a new creature.

A Jesus who transforms you from a physical being to a spiritual being.

If you have met that Jesus there is no other response that makes sense than full and complete surrender and commitment.

If you haven’t met that Jesus I encourage you to come. Come and meet Him and leave here a new person.

Maybe you have Jesus but you have gotten in the way.

Maybe life has gotten in the way

Maybe busyness has gotten in the way

Maybe you have allowed your thinking to be spoiled by the world.

Come. Leave that here with Jesus and leave here in a right relationship with God again

This week in your secret time I want you to wrestle with the truths we discussed today. Ask God to show you your heart on the issues and truths discussed today. Use these questions below to help guide your reflection and help record what God reveals to you.

What did God show you about your heart in relation to why you do what you do?

What are some specific things, people, circumstances, situations, beliefs that God showed you that need to be confess and laid down in surrender to Him?

How has God encouraged you this week?

Is your religion worthless or pure and genuine?

Take a minute to write a prayer, confess the things that needed confessed, praise God for all He has done and the encouragement He has give you this week, pray to be used by God to further His kingdom.