“hide your holiness” religion vs. spirituality” – p.6 matthew 6:1-18

““Hide Your Holiness”Hide Your Holiness”

Religion vs. Spirituality” – p.6Religion vs. Spirituality” – p.6

Matthew 6:1-18Matthew 6:1-18

• Jesus’ target in the Sermon on the Jesus’ target in the Sermon on the Mount is to expose superficial religion Mount is to expose superficial religion for what is – a phony system of for what is – a phony system of spirituality meant to make spirituality meant to make selfself--worshipworship seem like seem like GodGod--worshipworship. .

• Jesus wants us to see that the roots of Jesus wants us to see that the roots of superficial religion are planted in the superficial religion are planted in the soil of soil of selfself--deceptiondeception and and selfself--justificationjustification. .

• Hypocrite: religious show-offs are Hypocrite: religious show-offs are “actors” in that they aim to “actors” in that they aim to impressimpress others, but at the same time their others, but at the same time their behavior demonstrates how far they are behavior demonstrates how far they are out of touch with God’s understanding out of touch with God’s understanding of “righteousness”. of “righteousness”.

Matthew 6:1 (NIV)Matthew 6:1 (NIV)

Be careful not to practice your Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. no reward from your Father in heaven.

Matt 6:2,5,16 (N IV)Matt 6:2,5,16 (N IV)

““when you give to the needy, do not when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do…“And when you pray, hypocrites do…“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites…you must not be like the hypocrites…and when you fast, do not look somber and when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do”as the hypocrites do”

Jesus Bottom Line:Jesus Bottom Line:

• MotivesMotives MatterMatter!!

Giving to the needs of others is Giving to the needs of others is about what God considersabout what God considerssacredsacred, not , not affirmationaffirmation of of selfself

““So when you give to the needy, do not So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. – (Matthew 6:2)reward in full. – (Matthew 6:2)


But when you give to the needy, do not But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:3-4you. - Matthew 6:3-4


• Jesus says we should “have such pure Jesus says we should “have such pure motives of concern for the poor that motives of concern for the poor that when giving, we have no when giving, we have no selfself--awarenessawareness” but give to make God ” but give to make God famous by showing famous by showing regardregard for what He for what He considers considers sacredsacred!!

Prayer is a platform for Prayer is a platform for intimacyintimacy with with GodGod not the not the exaltationexaltation of of selfself

““And when you pray, do not be like the And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. reward in full.


But when you pray, go into your room, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-6)you. (Matthew 6:5-6)


And when you pray, do not keep on And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8)before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8)


• ““But when you pray, go into your room But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.”Father who is in secret.”


• There are two important words here: There are two important words here: secretsecret and and FatherFather. .

• Jesus tells us that the essence of Jesus tells us that the essence of prayer is private prayer is private communioncommunion with God. with God.

• To speak to God as Father means a To speak to God as Father means a level of level of intimacyintimacy. .


• Prayer is not about Prayer is not about manipulatingmanipulating God God into action or about into action or about informinginforming him him about what we need. about what we need.

• Prayer is a statement of simple Prayer is a statement of simple dependencydependency not the means of divine not the means of divine manipulationmanipulation..


““This, then, is how you should pray: This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘“‘Our Father in heaven, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your kingdom come, your will be done, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. on earth as it is in heaven.


Give us today our daily bread. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ but deliver us from the evil one.’ (Matthew 6:9-13)(Matthew 6:9-13)


• Notice the balance between a Notice the balance between a verticalvertical and and horizontalhorizontal focus focus

• Notice the focus on Notice the focus on attitudeattitude in in approaching God approaching God


For if you forgive other people when For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)(Matthew 6:14-15)


• A lack of forgiveness is a sign that you A lack of forgiveness is a sign that you haven’t experienced the haven’t experienced the forgivenessforgiveness of of GodGod. .

• Pride and God-centeredness cannot co-Pride and God-centeredness cannot co-exist. exist.

Fasting is about creating an Fasting is about creating an appetiteappetite for God not for fulfilling a for God not for fulfilling a hungerhunger for for applauseapplause

• “…“…when you fastwhen you fast…” (v 16). …” (v 16). • ““they disfigure their faces that their they disfigure their faces that their

fasting may be seen by others”fasting may be seen by others” (v 16) (v 16)

Fasting is about creating an Fasting is about creating an appetiteappetite for God not for fulfilling a for God not for fulfilling a hungerhunger for for applauseapplause

• Fasting is designed to remind you that Fasting is designed to remind you that more than anything more than anything youyou needneed GodGod. .

Bottom Line:Bottom Line:

• We exist to make God famous!We exist to make God famous!

ApplicationApplication

• God’s glory is the ultimate aim of God’s glory is the ultimate aim of everything, especially everything, especially religiousreligious activityactivity..


• Pious people need to work hard not Pious people need to work hard not only on only on whatwhat they do but they do but whywhy they do it they do it


• The heart is the The heart is the targettarget of the gospel of the gospel and the and the essenceessence of true religion of true religion

• All the good things that you do are All the good things that you do are absolutely absolutely worthlessworthless and even and even offensiveoffensive to God if they are not done to God if they are not done for the glory of God. for the glory of God.


• God made it possible for the God made it possible for the heartheart to be to be rightright with him through a with him through a relationshiprelationship with Jesus Christ. with Jesus Christ.

Hypocrites are people who deceive Hypocrites are people who deceive others because they are others because they are disastrously disastrously selfself--deceiveddeceived..

“hide your holiness” religion vs. spirituality” – p.6 matthew 6:1-18

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