What is Judging?

Matthew 7:1-6

 

As we study through the Sermon on the Mount,

We are now to a new point in this great sermon of Jesus.

 

Chapter 5 = GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS EXAMINED

Chapter 6 = FALSE RIGHTEOUSNESS EXPOSED

 

And now we hit the third point of Jesus.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS EXPELLED

 

And this point covers the smallest amount of text,

And yet may be the most penetrating in the entire sermon.

 

And yet again this point makes perfect sense.

 

• After revealing God’s perfect righteousness in order to prove that we do not measure up.

 

• Jesus then exposed how bad all the good things we do really are.

 

• And now He goes right to the heart of the matter, and that is that we have made a gross misevaluation of our lives.

 

Jesus is preaching to a people who were certain that they were righteous.

They were certain that they did things the right way.

They were certain that they were pleasing above everyone else.

 

Just listen to what Paul says about them in Romans.

Romans 2:17-24 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”

 

Jesus is preaching to a people who were certain that they were righteous,

And this morning He reiterates that their self-assessment is flawed.

 

Jesus exposes and then expels their self-righteousness.

 

And the way Jesus both exposes and expels their self-righteousness

Is by giving this powerful statement on judging.

 

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”

 

When seeking to address their self-righteousness

Jesus confronts their judgmental nature.

Nothing indicates self-righteousness

More than when we judge others.

 

At the very heart of judgment is the mindset that you are wrong,

Based upon the conviction that I am right.

 

And so when Jesus wishes to expose their self-righteousness

He does so by indicating that they were a judgmental people.

 

And so the point of the passage is clear,

However the application of this passage is often distorted.

 

This passage is extremely popular in the world.

 

In fact it is probably the banner verse for anyone

Who ever desired to commit sin and to live in it.

 

No matter if it is homosexuality

No matter if it is greed

No matter if it is abortion

No matter if it is gossip

No matter if it is adultery

 

The standard answer when confronting those things is “Judge Not”.

 

And so before we get into our text this morning,

I want to spend some time taking an exhaustive look at Scripture

To see exactly what judging is.

 

This sermon this morning is going to be quite a lot of information

And it will sort serve as a foundation for when we get further into the text

Next Sunday morning.

 

TO GET STARTED, let’s just set the foundation for judgment and judging.

 

Now you and I know that this world violently refutes

The notion of judgment.

 

If you seek to tell someone else they are wrong about anything,

They are quick to point out that you are not a judge.

 

THIS IS NOT A NEW SENTIMENT.

It is the same sentiment that we saw in Sodom in Gomorrah.

 

You may remember when the angelic messengers came to visit Lot, and the wicked men of the city came and tried to have homosexual sex with them.

Genesis 19:6-9 “But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. “Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.”

 

Even in the most wicked city of all time, people resented being judged.

And the mindset persists.

 

This world loves sin, & tends to reject any notion of being judged.

Sadly many even quote this verse in Matthew 7

As grounds that they will never be judged for their sin.

 

But here is the first thing a wicked world needs to know.

JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN

And wicked men are judged.

 

John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”

 

When you read that passage, you quickly understand that it is not

That man is free, seeking to avoid being judged.

 

It is clear that man has already been judged wicked by God,

And unless man runs to the Savior, He will enter into the judgment.

 

John 5:21-29 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He isthe Son of Man. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

 

And there we see it again.

 

And so I want you to see that judgment is certain.

 

Acts 17:30-31 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

 

So for those who are looking for a life without consequences,

You must know that it is not possible.

 

If you are seeking to quote Matthew 7:1 as some sort of license

To live any type of life you desire without repercussion,

Then you should know that such a life does not exist.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

 

The life you live will be judged by God.

And so don’t get the mindset from this verse that judging

Is somehow a bad thing, for God Himself judges.

 

Judging is an action of God, and therefore in and of itself it cannot be evil.

 

However, corrupted judgment is wrong.

And that is the next thing you need to know about judging.

 

As I studied the various passages on judging, it seems clear to me

That there are three types of judging that occurs in Scripture.

 

And I know that this comes to you as somewhat of a topical study,

But I just don’t know any other way to lay this foundation for you.

 

So let me show you these three types of judging,

And I promise they will pull together as we get into our study of Matthew 7.

 

#1 WICKED JUDGEMENT THAT ONLY DESTROYS

 

There is obviously a type of judgment

That is only meant to destroy another person.

 

It comes for the sole purpose of making oneself look good,

And securing another person as a condemned sinner.

 

And we see examples of it in Scripture.

 

TURN TO: ROMANS 14

 

When you look at the first verse, the entire context is laid out for us.

“Now accept the one who is weak in faith,

But not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

 

There you see that the judgment spoken of here

Was a judgment on the “opinions” of another person.

 

We are not dealing with evil actions.

We are not dealing with carnal living.

If you want to see specifically:

(READ VERSES 2-5)

 

So it all stemmed around what a person ate,

And which day to worship on.

Obviously neither decision was a sin.

Eat what you want.

Worship when you want.

 

WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH SINFUL CHOICES,

RATHER DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

 

What is clear is that both make the choice they make

Because they feel that this is what their Lord requires.

 

(READ VERSES 6-9)

 

And so we have here believers who love God, and wish to please God,

They simply differ in their opinion of what it is that is pleasing to God.

(Does God like hymns or choruses?)

 

And obviously each group was judging the other.

So Paul says this:

(VERSES 10-13)

 

The judgment occurring here was a wicked judgment

That sought to belittle and condemn a fellow brother.

 

That is why Paul commands them to stop destroying one another.

 

(VERSES 14-15)

(VERSES 20-21)

 

And so clearly, we have a type of judgment that was meant to destroy.

 

James also speaks of this type of judgment

 

TURN TO: JAMES 4:11-12

 

Without giving any specifics,

James mentions the same types of things going on here.

 

They were speaking against their brother and judging him.

 

And you will notice that James takes their wickedness even further.

 

“He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law;”

 

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

 

It means that if you condemn a brother for something

That Scripture doesn’t condemn him for,

Not only are you condemning your brother,

But you are also saying that the Scripture is incomplete.

 

(I think this happens all the time today in regard to alcohol.)

 

AND THIS IS A WICKED JUDGMENT.

• It doesn’t judge man’s sin, it judges his opinions.

• It doesn’t judge man’s actions, it judges his motives.

• And it does so with the intent to destroy.

 

And so it is obvious why God would forbid such a judgment.

 

And that is one type of judgment.

Let me give you another.

 

Wicked Judgment that only Destroys

#2 BLIND JUDGMENT THAT ONLY DECEIVES

 

Not only is their a wicked judgment that destroys.

But there is also a type of judgment that is rooted in blindness.

 

And the danger of it is deception.

Self deception & Deception of others.

 

Let’s first look at the self-deceived.

 

TURN TO: ROMANS 2

 

If you have read Romans 1,

You know that Paul has just outlined the wrath of God and sin.

 

He has shown the wrath of God on idolatry.

He has shown the wrath of God on Homosexuality.

He has shown the wrath of God on Apathy.

 

They are sins, they are heinous to God, and they are being judged by God.

 

So the issue here is NOT someone is being wrongly condemned

For something that is not sin.

 

Earlier that was the case.

Here that is not the case.

 

We are dealing with sinful people who are choosing a lifestyle

That deserves the judgment of God and in fact is already receiving it.

 

SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH JUDGING THEM?

THEY THOUGHT JUDGMENT WAS PARTIAL

 

(READ 2:1-2)

 

You clearly see here that we have people who actually condemn others

For doing something that they do themselves.

 

It is a blind judgment that cannot see the problems in their own life.

 

They assume that God won’t punish them for the same things.

(READ 2:3-11)

 

And so you can see these self-deceived people

Who are aware everyone’s sin but their own,

And as a result are blind to their own punishment.

 

It is no wonder God opposes such judgment.

It makes Him look wishy-washy, and it deceives people.

 

But people with this judgment don’t just deceive themselves,

They also deceive others.

 

TURN TO: LUKE 6:37-45

 

Now you will notice that much of what Jesus says here

Is the same thing He will say in Matthew’s gospel.

 

But we turn here because the order is different

And we how Jesus is tying things together a little differently.

 

First we notice the command. (37-38)

 

And so instead of condemnation Jesus commands forgiveness.

Don’t be eager to destroy your brother, instead be eager to forgive him.

 

And then He speaks more about judgment.

 

(READ 39-42)

 

Now we are familiar with the whole

“take the log out of your own eye” concept.

 

But do you notice that Jesus first speaks of blind men leading blind men?

 

The idea here is that when you judge in blindness,

Even the direction you give is not good direction.

 

Here we have a man living in sin and loving sin,

And obviously blinded to the truth,

Yet taking it upon himself to give someone else spiritual advice.

Jesus wants to know “How can you do that?”

 

It’s like what He said to the Pharisees.

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

 

It is a blind judgment, and it only leads to deception.

It cannot deliver, it cannot redeem, it cannot guide.

 

And that is why Jesus immediately goes form there

To the false prophets who do this every day.

(READ 43-45)

 

He couldn’t see the path for himself, let alone for anyone else.

 

And so you see another bad type of judgment.

• It is blind to the impartial nature of God.

• It is blind to it’s own sin.

• Therefore it is blind to help anyone else either.

 

The idea here is that if you won’t deal with the sin in your own life,

Then don’t try to deal with the sin in someone elses’.

 

It is hypocrisy, and Jesus is opposed to it as well.

 

 

But there is a third type of judgment.

 

A Wicked judgment that only destroys

A Blind judgment that only deceives

#3 TRUE JUDGMENT THAT ONLY DELIVERS

 

This true judgment is what Jesus spoke of:

John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

 

And so it is clear that not only does Jesus condemn faulty judgment, but He actually commands righteous judgment.

 

WANT SOME EXAMPLES?

2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

 

Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

ARE NOT BOTH OF THOSE A TYPE OF JUDGMENT?

Yet both are commanded in Scripture.

 

And let me show you why

TURN TO: 1 CORINTHIANS 5

 

When you read the first two verses we see the problem.

There was a specific type of immorality occurring that had to be stopped.

 

And notice Paul’s response.

(VERSE 3-5)

 

So Paul actually judged this person.

Paul actually handed him over to Satan (kicked him out of the church)

 

And then Paul chastises the Corinthians for not doing this sooner

(VERSES 6-8)

 

Allowing this sin to go unchallenged

Will only bring negative consequences to the church.

 

(VERSES 9-13)

 

Paul actually says we are required to judge those within the church.

 

That seems strange doesn’t?

TURN TO: MATTHEW 18

 

Now you also must know that this passage

Is all about saving people from sin.

 

In fact verse 7 talks about making little ones stumble.

Verses 8-9 talks about keeping yourself from stumbling.

Verses 10-14 talks about how God wants to save one who does stumble.

 

Verse 15 says, “If your brother sins”

 

So we are talking about one who has stumbled.

We don’t know how he fell, but we know God wants him back

 

HOW DOES GOD PURPOSE TO GET HIM BACK?

(VERSES 15-20)

 

God wants other brothers to confront him and turn him back to the truth,

And He has given them authority to do so.

 

And there again we see that judging is not only biblical,

But is actually commanded by God.

 

SO HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST TWO TYPES OF JUDGMENT WE SAW?

 

The first two sought to destroy, this one seeks to redeem.

 

The first two are for the benefit of the judge,

This one is for the benefit of the sinner.

 

And so we see that we have to qualify

What Jesus is saying in Matthew 7 with the rest of Scripture.

 

We have to understand that what Jesus is condemning is

That self-righteous attitude that seeks to destroy another person.

 

Let me give you an example of how Jesus did it.

 

TURN TO: JOHN 8

 

Here we have all three types of judgment on display.

• The Wicked who wanted her dead.

• The Blind who couldn’t see their own sin.

• The True who told the woman, “go and sin no more”

 

And you see the difference.

 

Jesus never condoned her sin, in fact He never condoned anyone’s sin.

His judgment was true.

His judgment was righteous.

His judgment was redemptive.

 

And when you see this

You understand what we are talking about in Matthew 7

 

When Jesus says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged”

 

It is clear that He is referring to those blind and wicked judgments

That seek to condemn a person in their sin.

 

This must be avoided, for it reveals self-righteousness in its finest form.

 

I would close in telling you here, that if you feel as though

You are under the judgment of God, that there is redemption.

 

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

 

The Sin of Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

 

As you know we are presently studying the Sermon on the Mount,

And we are knee deep into Jesus’ second point.

 

Chapter 5 was GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS EXAMINED

Chapter 6 is FALSE RIGHTEOUSNESS EXPOSED

 

Jesus is dealing with “good people,

And is revealing to them the problems with their “goodness”.

 

We have already seen that their religion was pointless,

For their giving, prayer, and fasting was all done for the wrong reasons.

 

That reason was for earthly glory and treasure,

Instead of for the glory of God and eternal reward.

 

And this hypocritical religion was only consistent with their greedy hearts

 

They loved the glory and praise of men because they loved the world,

And that is why Jesus moved from hypocritical religion to greed.

 

You see the sins are very similar.

Both seek to attain the world.

Both love the praise and reward of the world.

Both sacrifice the eternal to obtain it.

 

Greed and hypocritical religion come from the same root problem

And that is a heart that loves the world.

 

And so, we have seen the false righteousness of man exposed.

Jesus is revealing a heart problem.

 

Most recently we looked at greed from the perspective of the rich.

Those who save money, seek money, and serve money.

 

And this greed reveals a corrupt heart for, as Jesus said:

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

 

Your heart cannot nourish two crops at once.

Love for God and Love for the World have never been able to coexist.

 

In fact they are enemies of one another.

 

That is why John said:

1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

 

That is why James said:

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

 

And that is also why Jesus unequivocally said

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth”

 

You cannot love God and the world.

Your treasures will pull your heart away from God.

And so we saw the problems associated with wealth.

 

But as we said last week, when you talk about wealth, much of the time those who don’t have it tend to let themselves off the hook.

 

“Well, I don’t have to worry about it, because I don’t have the world.”

 

But that isn’t true.

In fact, the poor can suffer from the sin of greed

Even greater than those who are rich.

 

Their greed is not measured by their WEALTH.

Their greed is measured by their WORRY.

 

And obviously this is not biblical.

1 Timothy 6:8-11 “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”

 

Scripture is clear that contentment is the intention of the Christian life,

Not a desire for more.

 

Now I will be the first to admit to you that this is a tall order.

• We live in a material world.

• We live in arguably the most “consumer friendly” nation ever conceived.

• We are flooded with temptations called advertisements.

• We live next to people who continually get more stuff.

 

Contentment is a tall order, only possible through the power of Christ.

 

In fact, would it surprise you that the most quoted passage on Christian empowerment in Scripture is actually a passage related to contentment?

 

Philippians 4:12-13 “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

When Paul wanted to give an example of Christ’s power in his life,

He didn’t speak of the time he raised the dead,

Or the miracles he worked,

Or the endurance he showed.

 

When Paul wanted to give an example of Christ’s power,

Paul cited his ability to live content in the world.

 

Because it is only by power of a transformed life

Can we learn to say no to the things of the world.

 

And that is what makes it an indicator of a redeemed heart.

Furthermore, that is what makes a lack of contentment

An indicator of a carnal heart.

 

And that is why Jesus uses it here in His famous Sermon.

 

And having already seen the problems of wealth,

This morning we look at the sin of worry.

 

And this morning Jesus gives us three truths about worry.

#1 WHAT WORRY REVEALS

Matthew 6:25-26, 28-30

 

When you read the passage you see that Jesus

Immediately links this concept to the previous one.

“For this reason”

 

Jesus has just said that you cannot serve God and wealth.

It is impossible.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried”

 

 

And so it is obvious that worrying about money

Is a type of service to wealth.

 

If you spend time fretting or worrying or dwelling

On what you do not have, it is obvious that wealth

Has become a sort of master that has consumed you.

 

Clearly put.

The presence of worry indicates

That you are serving the wrong master.

 

Now you will also notice that the passage we study today

Indicates worrying about three different things.

 

(25) “do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat or what you drink”

 

We could probably sum this up as concern for basic necessities.

We all know that the human body has to eat and has to drink.

We can’t go long without them.

 

And because they are necessary for life to continue,

We tend to focus on them more than we should.

 

(25) “do not be worried…for your body, as to what you will put on.”

 

And we could also throw this into a basic need category

Since we do require covering to survive as well.

 

But also in this mix is a concept of vanity,

In which we tend to want more and better clothing.

 

(25) “do not worry about tomorrow”

 

This is really the combination of the two,

Only here the problem has really escalated.

 

This indicates a person who has food and covering for today,

But doesn’t know where it is coming from tomorrow.

 

All three of which Jesus tells us not to do.

For if we are worried about any of these things

It indicates that we are serving the wrong master.

 

But let’s get more specific about what it reveals.

1) A LOVE OF SELF (25)

 

After telling us what not to worry about, notice His subtle rebuke.

 

“Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

In other words, what do you think the purpose of life is?

What do you think the purpose of your body is?

 

Do you think your only objective for this life is to preserve it?

Do you think your only objective for this body is to cover it?

 

That is an animal mentality.

A wild beast will live with those passions and desires.

They live to eat, and they live to find shelter from the weather.

 

What is the purpose of your life?

What is the purpose of your body?

 

We can look at what Scripture says about our life.

Colossians 3:3-4 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

 

Remember this passage?

Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

 

How about this one?

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

 

And you understand, that this life is about far more

Than just self-preservation.

We are not here just to figure out how to stay alive.

 

Does it not strike you that this life is for a greater purpose?

 

Romans 14:7-9 “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

 

This life is not about us, it is about Him.

This life is but a small opportunity to please Him, and to glorify Him,

And to lead others to Him.

 

If all we do in this life is prolong it,

Then we have drastically missed the point.

 

HOW ABOUT THE BODY?

What is the purpose of the body?

 

Is it just to cover it?

Is it to keep it from pain?

Is it to exercise it and sculpt it into something beautiful?

 

What does Scripture say?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

 

Scripture says that the purpose of this body is for us to glorify God.

 

Remember this passage?

Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

 

That is why Paul said:

1 Corinthians 9:27 “but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

This body is the means by which we live this life for the glory of God.

 

2 Corinthians 5:8-9 “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”

 

And so we know why God gave us life.

We know why God gave us a body.

 

But the person who lives only for the preservation of that life

Or the comfort of that body indicates a backward attitude.

 

That person is not serving God, that person is serving self

And they reveal that because instead of worrying about the things of God,

They are worried about how they will preserve life and comfort the body.

 

Worry reveals a love for self.

 

2) A LACK OF FAITH (26, 28-30)

 

Now notice the two examples Jesus gives.

(26) “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”

 

And again Jesus is not condemning work, work is of God.

Jesus is condemning worry.

 

And birds are not worried, for God feeds them.

 

Then notice the question.

“Are you not worth much more than they?”

 

I mean, let’s just see things logically for a moment.

Birds don’t share the gospel,

Birds don’t feed the poor,

Birds don’t comfort the bereaved.

 

In the grand scheme of things birds are expendable,

But humans aren’t.

 

God has chosen to use humans in His great work of redemption.

We are more valuable than birds.

 

Yet, if God feeds the birds, don’t you think God will feed us?

 

Look at the next example.

(28) “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

And then here comes the logic.

(30) “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?”

 

And what logic!

 

Now I’m guessing that everyone in here buys paper towels.

They are certainly useful, we like them.

 

But how many of you wash your paper towels in order to reuse them?

 

None, because they are a dime a dozen, and they won’t last.

 

But not so with your real towels. We wash them until there is barely any towel left. There were times growing up that I had to put 3 towels together just to keep them from being see through.

 

The point is that we don’t put much energy into what won’t last,

But we put much greater energy into the things that will.

 

And God does the same.

He puts far more greater energy into the things that last

Versus the things that won’t.

 

And if God would clothe grass which is here today and gone tomorrow,

Then how much more would God take care of an eternal human being?

 

And so to worry about it, reveals what you think about God.

• Either you think God has His priorities all mixed up.

• Or you think God doesn’t know any better.

• Or you think God just doesn’t care about you.

 

All three indicate a lack of faith in God,

And that is why Jesus says, “You of little faith!”

 

And I don’t know if you’ve ever realized this or not,

But worry is a slap in the face to God.

 

Worry is an extreme lack of faith.

 

How many of you with kids, when you get in the car, do your kids grill you about having enough gas, or about knowing where you are going?

 

No, they climb in go to sleep, wake up and ask if we are there yet.

They trust you.

 

But we often don’t afford such trust to God.

 

 

Remember the children of Israel?

Exodus 15:24 “So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

 

Exodus 16:3 “The sons of Israel said to them, ” Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

 

Numbers 21:5 “The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”

 

Folks, when we worry about those things,

It sends a message to God that either we don’t think He can

Or we don’t think He will.

 

One insults His power, the other insults His love.

 

And so we see what worry reveals about us.

It reveals a love of self

It reveals a lack of faith

 

That is what worry reveals.

#2 WHAT WORRY ACCOMPLISHES

Matthew 6:27

 

Stuck in the middle of the passage we just studied,

Jesus throws in a little more logic.

 

(27) “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

 

In other words, even if you are consumed with preserving this life,

Do you suppose that worry will help you do that?

 

What doctor has ever said “We have found that a healthy diet, daily exercise, and ample amounts of time spent in worry have been found effective to add years to the average person’s life”?

 

On the contrary, doctors will tell you that stress is not good for you.

When is the last time you ever visited someone ill in the hospital and said, “I think the only thing that will save you is if you would start worrying.”

 

I mean you get the point.

Worry accomplishes nothing.

 

Remember Martha?

Luke 10:41 “But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;”

 

Martha was worried, but the meal wasn’t going any faster as a result.

That is why Paul said:

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

 

Worry accomplishes nothing, so you might as well not do it.

 

What Worry Reveals

What Worry Accomplishes

#3 WHAT WORRY CAUSES

Matthew 6:31-34

 

Here again Jesus states the command not to worry.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’”

 

“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things”

 

There is another one of those indicator statements again.

A godless world seeks the things of the world.

 

Again Jesus reminds that worry reveals a love of self.

 

And again worry reveals a lack of faith.

“for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

 

Jesus has just reiterated His point.

Worry indicates a love of self and a lack of faith.

 

It accomplishes nothing, so trust God.

(33) “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

 

Here is the passion of a child of God.

Here is the heart of Jesus.

 

If you want to be worried about something,

• Then worry about the millions of souls headed to hell.

• Be worried about righteousness.

• Be worried about growing God’s kingdom.

 

WE CALL IT PRIORITY

A natural man seeks natural things,

But a spiritual man is more concerned with spiritual things.

 

“Seek first”

“His kingdom and His righteousness”

 

And God will take care of all those other things.

 

Remember the passage Jesus quoted during His temptation?

Deuteronomy 8:2-6 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. “Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”

 

God wants you to know that He provides,

Because God doesn’t want you spending your short time

In the body worrying about food.

 

He wants you to spend your short time in the body on mission for Him.

 

And yet how many of us forsake or neglect our spiritual mission on a daily basis because we are too worried about meeting our own physical needs.

 

We got so consumed with worldly needs that we forget why we are here.

Oh, we could take off and go…

Oh, we could take off and serve…

Oh, we could give more of what I have…

 

But if I do that, “I’m worried that I might not have enough when I need it.”

 

(34) “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.”

 

The point is God has put you here to serve Him today,

But you can’t serve Him today

If you are constantly worried about tomorrow.

 

And that is the danger of worry.

It causes us to miss our mission.

It causes us to fail to store treasure in heaven.

 

And that is why Jesus calls worry a sin.

• Worry REVEALS a love of self and a lack of faith.

• Worry ACCOMPLISHES nothing.

• Worry CAUSES us to miss what really matters.

 

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

 

Testing For Greed – part 2

Matthew 6:19-24

 

Last time we met we started this penetrating text of Jesus

As He continued to address the importance

Of not storing up treasure here on earth.

 

Jesus opened the chapter by saying:

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”

 

He told us that there is a real danger that you and I

Could achieve something here on earth, but be a pauper in heaven.

 

He then revealed this danger in a spiritual sense through:

Hypocritical Giving

Hypocritical Prayer

Hypocritical Fasting

 

All of which accumulate treasure here, but gain no reward there.

 

But those aren’t the only areas in which we store earthly treasure.

We also do it with our money.

 

And so last week Jesus left the concept of religion

And introduced the concept of GREED.

 

And again, I don’t have to spend any time trying to convince you that

Greed is a sin and that is heinous in the sight of God.

 

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

 

So we don’t have to spend any time this morning

Trying to drive that point home any harder than that.

 

Instead the issue before us is not determining what greed is,

Or even if greed is bad.

All we are trying to do is determine if we have greed in our own lives.

 

And for that we find here three scenarios

By which we can evaluate our lives.

(Three questions regarding money)

 

We saw the first last week, – DO YOU STORE IT?

 

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And as we said then, the Greek word for “store up”

And the Greek word for “treasures” is the same word.

Only once it is used as a verb and once it is used as a noun.

 

Literally Jesus was saying, “Do not treasure your treasure.”

 

It is not that having treasure is wrong.

It is not that having a savings is wrong.

The danger comes when you get in to protection mode.

 

And Jesus even gave His reasoning

As to why you should not treasure this treasure.

 

The reason is because you can’t keep it.

“moth and rust destroy, and…thieves break in and steal”

 

And we talked about that in Jesus’ day wealth was measured in three main ways, GARMENTS – GRAIN – GOLD.

 

If you put your wealth in garments, the moth will eat it.

If you put your wealth in grain, the varmints will eat it (rust translates brosis – “to eat”)

If you put your wealth in gold, thieves will steal it.

 

Your treasure isn’t secure here,

And Jesus wants you to keep your treasure.

 

Furthermore living solely to protect this treasure

Will cause you inevitably to pass over someone who genuinely needed it.

 

And God’s instruction to the rich has been clear.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

 

Which is of course exactly what Jesus said.

 

If you want your treasure to be secure, then store it up in heaven.

Be generous, share, so that you can store up treasure in a place

“where neither moth nor rust destroys,

and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

 

And so we remember why Jesus told us not to treasure our treasure here.

 

And then He revealed the danger

That comes along with treasuring our treasure.

 

(21) “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

Your heart follows your treasure.

And if you store up treasure and begin to treasure it,

Then eventually it will pull your heart away from God.

 

And we saw the rich young ruler who could not follow Christ

Because his treasure had already stolen his heart.

 

And that was the first scenario.

 

Do you wonder if you have greed, then ask yourself this question in regard to your money: “DO I STORE IT?”

 

If so, then greed is present, and it must be dealt with.

 

But as you noticed, there are two more scenarios by which we evaluate our lives.

 

Do you store it?

#2 DO YOU SEEK IT?

Matthew 6:22-23

 

Supposing you passed the first test, lets look at the second.

 

And the reason for another test is that the first one is incomplete.

 

The first test is designed only to reveal greed in the life of the rich. In fact a poor man reads that statement and instantly says,

“That’s not me”.

 

A poor man doesn’t even have money, let alone money set aside.

And so to talk to him about storing his treasure is without application.

 

And a poor man can breeze through that first test and say,

“I passed with flying colors, I haven’t stored anything.”

 

But that doesn’t let the poor man off the hook.

 

Because the second scenario can apply to any heart,

No matter if that person is rich or poor.

 

Now we are not dealing with the storage of treasure,

We are dealing with the desire for it.

 

And Jesus even gives a unique analogy for desire.

(22) “The eye is the lamp of the body”

 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

 

WHAT DOES A LAMP DO TO A ROOM?

It brightens the room.

It illuminates what could not otherwise be seen.

And so initially we learn that our eye is an indicator of our heart.

Our eye provides insight into our heart.

 

WHY THE EYE?

It is with the eye that we SEE and RECOGNIZE and even SEEK.

 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “His eyes lit up when he saw…”?

It indicates that he liked or wanted what he saw.

 

Maybe you have heard the concept of

Something making someone’s eye twinkle.

 

It is the concept of revealing desire.

That is what the eye does.

 

The eye is a revealer of the heart.

If the eye wants it, then it is clear that the heart wants it.

 

The eye also signifies our focus and our purpose.

It is in an indicator of what we are seeking.

 

“That really caught my eye”

(Well it wouldn’t have caught your eye if your heart wasn’t interested)

 

And so it helps us understand what Jesus is talking about here.

 

“The eye is the lamp of the body”

In other words, what your eye desires

Is an indicator of what your heart desires.

And is therefore an indicator of what type of heart you have.

 

Then Jesus continues.

“so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.”

 

“clear” translates HAPLOUS

“simple” or “single” – some see it as meaning “pure”

 

The man who only seeks the things of God with his heart,

Will therefore only want the things of God with his eyes.

 

If your eye is only looking for the things of God…

If your eye is only looking for opportunities to serve God…

If your eye is only looking for opportunities to grow the kingdom…

If your eye is only looking for opportunities to store up treasure in heaven…

 

Then rest assured your heart is clean.

Rest assured “your whole body will be full of light.”

 

If all you are looking for with your eyes is spiritual treasure,

Then you can know your heart is in the right place.

(23) ”BUT if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.”

 

This brings the opposite connotation.

 

“bad” translates PONEROS

“toilsome” or “laborious”

 

Instead of an eye that is singular wanting only the things of God.

This is an eye that is greedy wanting everything it sees.

 

It is an eye that literally wares itself out seeing all the stuff it wants.

 

It is the eye that no sooner gets what it craved,

Than it is already craving something new.

The advertising industry thrives on this type of eye.

 

Ever sat with a child while watching Saturday morning cartoons?

Every commercial will feature some new toy,

And your child will want every toy that is featured.

 

And the problem is that the eye that is “bad”

Or laboring to achieve everything else

Indicates a heart that desires the world.

 

An eye that wants all that stuff indicates a corrupt and idolatrous heart.

 

And that is dangerous, for notice what Jesus says next.

 

“If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

 

In case you missed it,

That is a thought provoking statement.

 

Jesus knows that if He simply asked the people

About the condition of their heart, they would all say, “My heart is good”.

 

No one would say, “I’ve got a corrupt heart.”

 

Jesus knew that by in large everyone thought they had a good heart.

 

And so Jesus gives a piece of penetrating logic.

 

If your eye is bad, that is in an indicator that your heart is bad.

But you thought your heart was good.

 

So if what you thought was good was really bad, how bad are you?

 

AND DO YOU SEE THE DANGER THERE?

 

First we learned that your greed will pull your heart away from God.

Here we learn that greed will blind you

To your true spiritual condition.

 

Let’s go again to the rich young ruler.

 

Matthew 19:16-20 “And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?”

 

Is that not fascinating?

Here is a man who rejected Christ.

Here is a man who chose sin over righteousness.

Here is a man who refused to submit his life to Christ.

 

Yet, when he evaluated his own life, he thought he was good.

 

It is obvious that he had absolutely no spiritual discernment.

His greed had blinded his true spiritual condition.

He couldn’t even see what he was.

 

And so you see why greed is so dangerous.

Not only will it lead you away from God,

But it will lead you away from God without you even realizing it.

 

1 Timothy 6:7-10 “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

 

DID YOU CATCH THAT?

“some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

 

REMEMBER GEHAZI?

That servant of Elisha who decided to go ahead

And charge Naaman the leper for his cleansing.

Gehazi was inflicted with Naaman’s leprosy until the day of his death.

 

AND YOU SEE GREED ISN’T LIMITED TO THE RICH.

Here we are not talking about people who have money.

We are talking about people who want money.

And we definitely see it in our day.

 

Sometime go to Allsups and watch the poor line up to buy lottery tickets.

(Don’t be shocked like you though buying lottery tickets was a spiritual thing)

Sometime go to one of these cities of legalized gambling and watch the poor feeding slot machines.

 

WHY DO THEY DO THAT?

For the chance dream of winning a million.

 

Friend you would be far better off to put your dollar

Towards feeding the poor, or towards funding missions,

For there you are guaranteed to get a treasure.

 

But it is just another indicator of a carnal greedy heart.

 

AM I GREEDY?

 

Well, let’s ask a couple of questions about money.

Do you store it?

Do you seek it?

 

If you are forced to answer yes, then greed is present in your heart.

And again Scripture says that is idolatry.

 

#3 DO YOU SERVE IT?

Matthew 6:24

 

What do you mean, do I serve it?

Well, is it your master?

 

Are you continually caught having to shift your life

In order to make money to obtain the things you want?

 

Or even better yet, are you continually having to shift your life

In order to pay for the things you already have?

 

All of a sudden your treasure has become your master.

 

Now I know this one is tricky, and I don’t want you to misunderstand me here.

 

Scripture does not say that work is wrong.

Nor does Scripture say that it is wrong to work

In order to provide for your family.

 

In fact Scripture places a high value on work.

 

DO YOU REALIZE THAT WORK WAS INITIATED BEFORE THE FALL?

Genesis 2:15 “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”

 

God has always intended that you and I work.

Proverbs 6:6-11 “Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest” — Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.”

 

Proverbs 14:4 “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.”

 

Proverbs 12:11 “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.”

 

We even see this in the New Testament.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

 

Furthermore Scripture teaches that one of the reasons we work

Is to provide for our families.

 

1 Timothy 5:4 “but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.”

 

1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

 

2 Corinthians 12:14 “Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.”

 

And so I am not saying that if you have to work to provide

Then you are somehow a servant to your money.

No, work indicates a service to your family.

 

The problem occurs when you have to work more than necessary,

Because aside from providing for your family,

You are also trying to obtain the world.

 

And I don’t think it is all that hard to tell the difference.

 

Does your work keep you away from your family?

Does your work prohibit you from serving God?

 

Work is a gift from God as His way of providing for us,

But when we are so intent on obtaining the world

That we become a slave to it, then we have a new master.

 

And that again is obviously idolatry.

 

And it is impossible to be there and be a servant of God.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

 

And isn’t that true?

 

Have you ever had your money cause you to despise God?

 

Let me give you an example.

 

You have something you want to buy,

Maybe you have started saving, maybe you are about to.

 

And all of a sudden some mission offering comes up at the church,

Or some benevolent need arises.

 

And now you are mad

Because God wants you to give to those causes

And it means you might not get that thing you wanted.

 

It caused you to despise God.

 

You see, you can’t have it both ways.

If you are serving wealth, then you are not serving God,

Because it is impossible to do so.

 

That is what Jesus said in the parable of the soils.

Matthew 13:22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

 

And there one more time we understand the danger of greed.

 

• It pulls your heart away from God.

• It clouds your own spiritual discernment.

• It not only renders you incapable of service, but will also cause you to hate God.

And how do I know if I have greed?

• Do I store money?

• Do I seek money?

• Do I serve money?

 

And friend if greed is found present in your life,

Then you need to run to Christ and not only ask for forgiveness,

But also for cleansing.

 

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

Jesus will fix your heart.

 

And now I want to close with what I think is one of the greatest lessons on the struggle with money in all of Scripture.

 

Many of you are already familiar with it.

 

TURN TO: PSALMS 73

(we obviously can’t cover it in extreme depth, but we can get the point)

 

This morning if greed is present in your life,

Then you need what Asaph needed.

 

You need to spend time in the sanctuary of God

And let God show you the “end” of the greedy.

 

And when you see that,

You will wonder why you ever wanted to be rich,

And you will see the tremendous value it is in knowing Christ.

 

So this morning, draw near to God, and let Him change your heart.

 

Until you and I can say with Asaph:

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

 

Testing For Greed – part 1

Matthew 6:19-24

 

As you know we are studying through the Sermon on the Mount.

 

It is a sermon by our Lord meant to strip away

Any and all self-sufficiency that we may have before God.

 

• Jesus has confronted our attitude

• Jesus has confronted our mission

• Jesus has confronted our heart

• And most recently Jesus has confronted our religion

 

We spent 4 weeks looking at hypocritical religion.

 

You’ll remember that one problem was consistent in all the areas

It is that while true religion seeks to please God and gain His reward,

Hypocritical religion sought to please self by obtaining reward now.

 

That is why the hypocrites sounded a trumpet when they gave,

“so that they may be honored by men.”

 

That is why the hypocrites stood on the street corners when they prayed,

“so that they may be seen by men.”

 

That is why the hypocrites neglected their appearance when they fasted,

“so that they will be noticed by men”

 

They wanted men to see and honor them.

The danger however was this, “they have their reward in full.”

 

They were indeed rewarded, but it was a temporal reward,

And it was fleeting reward.

 

And so we saw that one of the main problems of these guys

Is that they willingly traded the eternal for the temporal.

 

And that is a tragedy.

 

And now in the sermon Jesus moves on,

But in many regards is still on the same topic.

 

For Jesus is still talking about focusing on the eternal over the temporal,

And He is still focusing on gaining spiritual reward over physical reward.

 

Only here Jesus doesn’t refer to some sort of religious exercise,

But rather the concept of greed.

 

Greed is yet another one of those sins that indicates a carnal heart.

 

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

 

Paul actually calls greed a form of idolatry.

It is to love the things of this world more than you love God.

 

And the presence of it is a very serious problem.

 

In fact, if you have ever read the Bible, you know that by in large,

The wealthy are not looked upon very favorably in Scripture,

And those who love the world most certainly are not.

 

James 4:1-4 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

 

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

Loving and seeking the world is a serious problem of humanity,

And so Jesus would not be accurately addressing the human heart

If He preached an entire sermon on sin and left the topic of greed out.

 

That is the topic He addresses for the remainder of the chapter,

And He addresses greed from two opposite extremes.

 

THE RICH

When many people hear about greed, they think immediately of the rich.

(Some miser who hoards all he has and closes his heart to the poor)

 

Yes, that man is greedy,

But he is not the only person with a greed problem.

HE WAS JUST SUCCESSFUL IN HIS GREED

 

THE POOR

Verses 25-34 of this chapter also deals with greedy people.

They seek money just as strongly.

They are consumed with it just as much.

Only they have not been successful in their greed.

 

Their greed is not revealed by their presence of wealth,

Their greed is revealed by their presence of worry.

 

One is wealthy, one is worried but both are consumed with riches.

That is greed, and it is idolatry before God.

And so Jesus exposes it.

 

This morning we look at the first example,

Which is the warning to the wealthy, and we see a simple test.

 

I don’t think I have to spend much time convincing you that greed is a sin

And that it is punished by God as idolatry.

 

What we are going to do this morning is take the test

To see if we have greed.

 

That is what Jesus does here, He gives three scenarios,

To help us see if we have greed in our hearts.

 

And it all stems around what you and I do with money.

 

In verses 19, 20, & 21 it is referred to as our treasure.

In verse 24 it is referred to as wealth.

 

And Jesus gives three indicators to help you see

Whether or not greed is present in your life.

 

In regard to wealth

#1 DO YOU STORE IT?

Matthew 6:19-21

 

And here we get a very blatant command.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.”

 

And of course the implication is that storing your treasure

Is an indicator of wealth, but that is a little misleading.

 

Does it mean I can’t ever store any money of any type?

 

Listen to what Paul told the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 16:1-3 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;”

 

That word “save” is the exact same Greek word Jesus uses for “store up”

 

It is the word THESAURIZO

And it literally means “to store” or “to save”

 

And so based upon Paul’s command, all saving can’t be seen as bad.

Especially if your saving is for the purpose of giving.

 

Or does it just speak of what I save?

(I can save money as long as it isn’t my treasure.)

 

Can someone tell me the difference

Between good money and bad money?

 

What Jesus is saying here is pretty clear when you look at the words.

 

“store up” translates a verb THESAURIZO

“treasure” translates a noun THESAUROS

 

So it is the same word, only once used as a verb and once as a noun.

 

Jesus is saying,

“Don’t treasure your treasure”

“Don’t save your savings”

 

As you will see in a moment, the implication is use it for eternal treasure.

 

Having it is not the problem.

Saving it is not the problem.

But allowing that balance, or that saving

To become more important than the needs around you is.

 

Listen to another passage of James on wealth:

James 5:1-6 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

 

He wants to know how you could possibly set on your wealth

While watching the poor man suffer.

 

How can you let people starve for lack of food,

Simply because you want to protect your bank balance?

 

At that point it has become obvious which is more important to you.

You treasure your treasure more than you treasure the the poor man.

 

That is why John said:

1 John 3:16-17 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

 

And so you understand Jesus’ point.

It is not that having money in a savings account is wrong,

But when it gets to the point of seeing that balance as more important

Than the needs of others, then we have a problem.

 

Being rich is not a sin, being greedy is.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

 

And so Jesus is commanding people not to treasure their treasure.

 

Then He starts telling us why.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

 

WHY SHOULD YOU NOT STORE UP TREASURE HERE?

Because it isn’t secure.

 

You wouldn’t cash your paycheck

And leave it all in a bank envelope on the dash of your pickup.

You give it to your wife, who can keep it safe.

 

Jesus was saying, do not store up treasure here, it is not safe here.

 

AND I HOPE YOU PICK UP ON THE FIRST CONCERN OF JESUS

His first concern in this was that you get to keep your treasure.

 

He wasn’t just trying to make everyone poor.

He isn’t just trying to get all your money.

 

He actually wants what is best for you.

And greed is not good for you.

 

Greed will prompt you to store things

In a way and in a place where you can’t keep them.

 

In Jesus day, there were three main ways that you could measure wealth.

 

Garments, Grain, & Gold.

(not so different from today)

 

But what is the problem with garments?

“moth”

 

But what is the problem with grain?

People eat it, as do varmints.

(cats were always using my dad’s oat bin as a litter box)

 

“rust” translates BROSIS

It literally means “eating”, most times it is translated “food”

 

And what is the problem with gold?

“thieves break in and steal”

 

And Jesus’ point is that there is no way in this life

That you can possibly secure your wealth.

 

If you put it in garments, the moth will eat it.

If you put it in grain, something else will.

If you put it in gold, someone will steal it.

 

It is not secure.

 

We’ve all heard the expression, “You can’t take it with you.”

 

Even if you protect it your entire life

With moth balls, saran wrap, and safety deposit boxes,

You will still lose it.

 

1 Timothy 6:7 “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”

 

Perhaps you remember this parable from Jesus:

Luke 12:13-21 “Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘ You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

 

This man had it all, and in an instant he didn’t have anything.

 

And so the first problem Jesus lists in regard to greed

Is that it stores up for you a treasure that you can’t keep.

 

Next Problem

And even worse than that, is if somehow you do manage to keep it,

But do so by hoarding it from those whom you could have helped.

 

As James said:

James 5:1-3 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!”

We talk a lot about benevolence in this church,

One of my favorite passages on benevolence in found in Deuteronomy 15.

 

Deuteronomy 15:7-9 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you.”

 

And the command of Moses is that you don’t want to be caught

Having withheld something that another person needed.

 

It would have been far better for you to have given and gotten cheated,

Than for you to have withheld and not helped a true need.

 

If your greed actually causes you to overlook some genuine needs,

Then there is a real danger, God sees it as sin.

 

That is even worse than having it stolen.

 

The obvious point is that there is nothing good that comes from greed.

Treasuring your treasure here will only cause you to neglect real needs,

And will cause you to save a treasure that is not secure.

 

That is why Jesus says in verse 20

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

 

So just as clearly as Jesus told us not treasure earthly treasures,

Here He tells us just the opposite in regard to spiritual treasures.

 

TREASURE YOUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN

You should earn them.

You should store them up.

You should treasure them.

You should protect them.

 

Make it your ever living ambition to get as rich in heaven as you can. Make a point to deposit frequently and keep the balance growing.

 

Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.”

 

You see, we lose all the treasure here,

But we get to keep all the treasure there.

 

Because in heaven, “neither moth nor rust destroys, and…thieves do not break in or steal;”

Everything in heaven is secure, it cannot be stolen.

 

Listen to what Peter said about the inheritance there.

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

 

The treasure there, will not rot, cannot become tainted or broken,

And will never be lost.

 

We are presently in the middle of the Christmas season.

And most of us already have gifts purchased for other people,

And we are excited about giving them out.

 

But do you realize that everything you have purchased that is presently wrapped with paper will one day rot in a land fill?

 

But that isn’t true with the treasures we have in heaven.

They last forever.

And Jesus says, store them up there.

 

Don’t be greedy for stuff here, be committed to using this treasure

In order to add to your heavenly treasure.

 

And then comes the real point.

 

Here is the danger of greed.

(21) “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

Your treasure does not follow your heart.

Your heart follows your treasure.

 

Picture the stock market.

If you took your entire life’s savings and invested in Wal-Mart,

You’d push carts to the door every time you shopped there.

 

Your heart would be in tune with the success of Wal-Mart.

 

And so it is with eternal treasure.

 

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR MISSIONS?

How much do you invest there?

 

Do you suppose you would be more concerned with South America if

you gave your life savings to support hurricane victims?

 

Do you suppose you would be more concerned about Africa if your child

was serving there?

HOW ABOUT BENEVOLENCE?

How much do you invest there?

 

And you get the point.

Your heart follows your treasure.

 

And this is what makes greed so dangerous.

• Not only will it cause you to store up a treasure you can’t keep.

• Not only might it cause you to overlook some genuine needs.

• But it will also eventually pull your heart away from God.

 

And that is far more than dangerous, that is destructive.

 

Remember this fellow?

Matthew 19:21-24 “Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

Now there is obviously a lot to learn from the rich young ruler,

But we would be blind if we missed this obvious point.

 

His heart had been so attached to his treasure,

That he couldn’t give it up; not for treasure in heaven,

Not even for eternal life.

 

His heart had followed his treasure,

And as a result his heart was turned away from God.

That is what greed can do to us.

 

And we must make sure that if it is present

That it is repented of, and that is rejected.

 

That is what Zaccheus did.

Luke 19:8-9 “Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.”

 

Zaccheus overcame greed, for the sake of gaining something better.

 

Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

 

That is why Scripture remembers Zaccheus well,

But the rich young ruler poorly.

 

And which road to follow is obvious.

 

And if you want to know if you have greed in your life,

Then ask yourself this one question in regard to wealth.

DO I STORE IT?

 

Do you treasure your treasure?

 

How do I know?

Are you apprehensive to part with it, even when you see a real need elsewhere?

 

That is treasuring your treasure above the need, and that is greed.

 

And if greed is present,

It is an indicator of a heart that is not right before God.

 

And this morning it gives us yet another opportunity

To beg Jesus for forgiveness and a heart like His.

 

 

And this morning that is what I invite you to do.

 

 

And listen, I don’t care where you presently stand with Christ

(or where you think you stand)

 

It doesn’t matter if you are saved, lost, faithful, or backslidden.

If you recognize greed in your life, the response is the same, run to Jesus.

 

If you are lost, He will save you.

If you are saved, He will sanctify you.

If you are faithful, He will make you more so.

If you are backslidden, He will forgive you.

 

I’m not concerned with anything you have or have not done in the past,

But I am saying, that today if you recognize a need for Christ,

Then cry out to Him and He will give you what you need.

 

He atoned for sin.

He is the Savior.

 

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

Hypocritical Fasting

Matthew 6:16-18

 

Well, I don’t think at this point

The Sermon on the Mount needs much of an introduction.

 

By now we are all well aware what Jesus is doing.

He is stripping us.

 

• He is removing all notions of human goodness

• He is removing all thoughts of religious acceptance

• He is removing all hope that anything we may do or have done will be enough to justify us.

 

Jesus has systematically dismantled any notion we may have

Of our ability to please God on our own.

 

We have neither done it on our own in the past,

We are not doing it on our own in the present,

And we will not do it on our own in the future.

On our own, there is nothing pleasing to God.

 

And Jesus has been proving this because understanding this point

Is absolutely crucial to the gospel.

 

Man in and of himself is sinful and cannot please God.

 

Romans 8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 

It has always held true that you cannot find the beginning of God

Until you come to the end of yourself.

 

The Sermon on the Mount helps you come to the end of yourself.

 

Most recently we have learned that our religion may indeed be useless.

Jesus spoke of giving and praying and showed us

How both can be absolutely useless to God.

 

Namely when they are done for recognition.

This is hypocrisy and God is not amused.

 

This morning Jesus shows us a third example of religious hypocrisy.

Hypocritical fasting.

 

But obviously before we get in to the perversion of their fasting,

We need to make sure and clarify what fasting is.

“fast” translates NESTEUO

And it literally means “to do without food”

 

And so in a physical sense to fast is any time

We refrain from eating or do without food.

 

The bigger question is WHY do we fast?

 

No doubt some look upon it similar to the way

The Gentiles looked at prayer in verse 7.

 

Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”

 

The Gentiles looked at prayer as a purely manipulative tactic,

Where they would literally wear God out

Until He finally had enough and chose to answer.

It was manipulation and we talked about why that is not biblical.

 

But no doubt some look at fasting in exactly the same way.

 

“I’m gonna go without food and when God sees how serious I am,

Then He will relent and grant my request.”

 

(Illustration: Opie holds his breath)

 

There are some who see fasting as a manipulative tool exactly like that.

 

It is clear that some in the Old Testament saw it that way.

TURN TO: Isaiah 58

 

And so clearly they thought God would be motivated by their fast

And would grant their request.

 

God wasn’t interested in their manipulative gestures.

If they wanted to impress Him it was time to refrain from sin not food.

 

Some fast for manipulative reasons, which we know by now will not work.

 

God grants requests because He is good, not because He is forced.

 

OTHERS LOOK AT FASTING AS A LEGALISTIC DUTY.

 

We see this in the Catholic religion through lent.

It is sort of a duty if we want to be pleasing to God.

 

They see it as some means to get closer to God.

(It some how purges me and makes me more righteous)

 

But that isn’t true either.

Galatians 3:1-6 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

 

Consider the Colossian church.

Colossians 2:20-23 “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

 

TURN TO: Zechariah 7

 

There you see that they were confused, they thought fasting

Somehow caused them to please God, but they were wrong.

 

GOING WITHOUT FOOD IS NOT THE MEANS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

Would it surprise you if I told you that fasting is never commanded anywhere in Scripture?

Prayer is commanded.

Giving is commanded.

Fasting never is.

 

WELL, IF IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I’M JUST SUPPOSED TO DO, AND IF IT ISN’T A TOOL TO MAKE MY PRAYER MORE EFFECTIVE, THEN WHY SHOULD I FAST?

 

Listen:

FASTING IS NOT A TECHNIQUE, FASTING IS A RESULT.

 

Abstaining from food is not something you manually do to please God

Abstaining from food is something you naturally do

When you are set on seeking God.

 

Let me give you an example.

Matthew 4:1-2 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.”

 

So was Jesus forcing Himself to starve in order to manipulate God? -No.

Nor was He doing out of command, for it wasn’t commanded.

 

Did you notice when Jesus became hungry?

“after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.”

SO WHAT WAS JESUS DOING ON THAT MOUNTAIN?

He was seeking God.

 

He went ultimately to be tempted by the devil,

But that didn’t begin until the forty days was up.

 

During those forty days Jesus was seeking God, and during that time

He was so intent on finding God that He wasn’t even hungry.

 

And that answers our question as to why we fast.

When we get to a place where we are seeking God whole heartedly,

The spiritual becomes so important that the physical literally fades away.

 

 

LET ME GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES

Jonah 3:5-10 “Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. “But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.”

(They fasted because they wanted forgiveness worse than food)

 

Acts 13:1-3 “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

(They fasted because they wanted direction worse than food)

 

Matthew 9:14-15 “Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

(They will fast because they long for the return of the bridegroom)

 

Consistent with all those accounts is that these people wanted God,

And they wanted God so badly that they didn’t even think about eating.

 

And when you fast like that, God responds.

When you seek God like that God responds.

 

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

 

And so you understand a little about fasting.

What is clear from our text this morning

Is that it was yet another area in which the Jews

Were putting on a theatrical performance.

 

I don’t think there is any question that we would all admit

That we do not often seek God with as much seriousness

As fasting would imply.

 

I think we would also admit that if we knew someone who did,

We would be impressed.

 

And this was something the Pharisees realized as well.

 

Just like in their giving and just like in their praying,

They saw fasting as yet another opportunity to impress people.

 

And that is precisely the type of hypocrisy Jesus is about to expose.

 

2 points

#1 THE PITIFUL FAST OF THE HYPOCRITE

Matthew 6:16

 

“Whenever you fast”

 

Again, it is not that Jesus is commanding fasting. He isn’t.

 

However, it is highly understood that those who desire God would fast.

 

The issue wasn’t IF you do it, but HOW you do it.

“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”

 

And it really doesn’t require much explanation

For you can easily picture the scene.

 

Here is a man who is fasting.

 

HOW DO YOU KNOW HE IS FASTING?

Because he looks miserable.

 

He walks by a hot-dog stand and licks his lips and says

“Man I wish I could eat one of those, but I can’t because I’m fasting”

 

He purposely looks pitiful, so that everyone will see, not only is he doing without, but he sacrifice for God is a serious one.

 

Now before we go on and see his hypocrisy,

DO YOU SEE HOW BAD THIS MAKES GOD LOOK?

When you whine because your commitment to God causes you to go without food, what does that say to the world?

-food is better than God

 

When you complain because your sacrifice to God causes you to not get to go to some event, what does that say to the world?

-that event is better than God

 

IF YOU’RE GONNA SERVE GOD WITH THAT TYPE OF ATTITUDE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL WEAR A SIGN THAT SAYS

“SERVING GOD STINKS”

 

Listen friend, don’t do God any favors by sacrificing for Him.

It is God who did you a favor by sacrificing for you.

 

And if you really understood what that meant,

You wouldn’t be so put out over missing a meal.

 

No wonder Philippians 2:14 says

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing;”

 

But this Pharisee was, or at least he looked that way.

He wanted people to notice, so he purposely looked pitiful.

 

I can certainly identify with wanting people to notice my pain.

When I get sick, or am in pain, I want everyone to notice.

 

I can’t sing a lick, but I can moan in 3 different octaves

And in 17 different languages.

 

If I really feel neglected I can dang near yodel when I moan.

 

And that is what these people do.

 

They make sure everyone knows when they are fasting.

Without any regard for how it makes serving God look,

They want everyone to be impressed with their sacrifice.

 

“Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”

 

“reward” translates MISTHOS

It means “wages”

 

They are literally actors performing for donations.

They are no different than a man who performs on a street corner

And then passes his hat for tips.

 

And Jesus says whatever you get from them,

You had better invest it wisely, because that is all you will ever get.

 

Don’t expect God to be impressed by your pathetic religious display.

 

Luke 18:9-14 “And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

God is not impressed.

God is not amused.

In fact it only provokes God to desire to tear that lofty person down.

 

Why do you think Jesus confronted the Pharisees so harshly?

Because their pride and arrogance and religious display nauseated Him.

 

The Pitiful Fast of the Hypocrites

#2 THE PLEASANT FAST OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Matthew 6:17-18

 

What a contrast!

If the hypocrites fast was pitiful,

Then pleasant is the only way to describe this man.

 

In fact, if you were to be forced to look in a room full of people

And pick the one who had been without food for a week,

This is the last guy you would pick.

 

He looks clean.

He looks refreshed.

He looks healthy.

 

AND HE DIDN’T CARE IF YOU NOTICED OR NOT.

 

The reason is because he wasn’t seeking your attention,

He was seeking God’s attention.

 

HE LOST FOOD, BUT HE FOUND GOD,

AND HE WASN’T UPSET ABOUT THAT AT ALL.

 

This is the attitude we see in God’s servants in Scripture.

 

Remember Paul?

Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

 

Remember the Macedonians?

2 Corinthians 8:3-4 “For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,”

 

These were people who sacrificed, but they weren’t grieved,

Because they were gaining Christ.

 

They saw no need to look pitiful, because they weren’t pitiful.

THEY WERE FULFILLED

 

And not only are they fulfilled but “your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

 

“reward” translates APODIDOMI

“to give back”

 

In other words what you give will be given back.

 

And God is generous in repayment.

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

 

SO THERE IT IS AGAIN

God is looking at the heart.

 

And the overwhelming insinuation is BE REAL

 

DO YOU REMEMBER THE GREATEST COMMANDMANT?

“Love God with all your heart”

 

That means that if you do everything the Bible commands,

But you don’t do that, then you have missed the whole point.

 

Let me put it to you another way.

If you do the things of God, but you don’t delight in them,

Then there is a problem in your heart.

 

Things like Giving or Praying or Fasting

Or any other number of religious duties

(witnessing – Bible reading – Church attendance)

If you do them out of some other motive other than love for God,

Then there is a problem.

 

The Pharisees did all the deeds, but they did them for the wrong reasons.

They did them to impress and please other people.

They did them because they loved themselves.

 

God is only pleased when people do those things because they love Him.

 

And friend if you set here today and say, “Preacher I have a problem, I don’t love God like I’m supposed to. I wish I did, but I don’t, what do I do?”

 

The answer is simple.

Ask God to give you a love for Him.

 

Do you realize that those who love God only do so because God gave them a love for Him?

 

Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

 

We only give it when God first gives it to us.

 

1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”

 

So if you don’t love God Then ask Him to help you love Him, and

When you ask Him truly wanting Him, He will give it to you.

 

BUT BY ALL MEANS – BE REAL

 

This morning we come to partake in the Lord’s Supper.

(And being real is the name of the game)

 

In fact, being a hypocrite here can get you in a world of trouble.

 

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 “ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”

 

The problem with the Corinthians is that by partaking in the Lord’s Supper they were saying “I love God, and I am a servant of Christ”.

 

But that was clearly a lie based on the way they lived their lives.

(even in the way they took the Lord’s Supper)

 

And God was so appalled by their hypocrisy

That he was making them sick, and some of them even died.

 

And so when Paul says “let a man examine himself”

I think we all get the point.

 

BE REAL

 

This morning we are going to have a time of preparation.

I can’t tell you what that time will be for you.

 

• Maybe a time of repentance.

• Maybe a time of asking God to help you love Him.

• Maybe a time of forgiving someone.

 

But as we prepare to partake,

You examine your life and make sure that you are real.

If not, ask Christ to make you real.

 

Pray