Shine for God // MSU BSU Basic Training 2022 #3

Introduction

Matthew 6:5–24 ESV

“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. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

As Christians, we ultimately live for an audience of one.

Every aspect of the Christian’s life is lived for God.

Explanation

Christ followers have an intimate relationship with God.

Our Father who are in heaven

May we never forget the cost of our right to pray to our Heavenly Father. Only by the work of Jesus can we have access to our Father in heaven.

Our access to God, our “priestly” access to God, is only ours because Christ gave himself for our sins, purifying us as He incurred God’s wrath for our sins.

The only person who can

“Hallowed be your name”

“Your kingdom come, you will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Give us daily bread

Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.

Lead us not into tempation but deliver us from evil.”

Christ followers care more about their relationships with God than their relationships with man.

Our relationship with God is not like any other relationship. It supercedes everything else.

The radical nature of fasting shows the devotion with which we should seek God.

However, it is easy for us to use those things that God has created for intimacy with him to gain a name for ourselves amongst others.

Even fasting can be done in a way that cares more about the praise of man than the presence of God.

Jesus warns, fast in secret instead of where everyone else can see.

Have you seen the videos on TikTok where people get out of a car and take food or money or water to a homeless person on the side of the street?

Instead of just helping someone, they have to do it in front of the world for likes and shares.

We often do the same thing. We take what God has given us to commune with him and love others, and we use it to make a name for ourselves.

Christ followers must serve God and not anything else.

The physical pleasures of this earth will never satisfy compared to the love and grace of Christ.

Everything that you have will be the fodder of future garage sales, if you are lucky. If not, you will just donate it to charity.

You cannot serve both God and money. You will worship something as supreme and over everything else.

It will either be God or it will be something else.