Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #27 Jesus and The Sermon On The Mount #3 – Jesus and True Worship Matthew 6

 

Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #27

Jesus and The Sermon On The Mount #3 – Jesus and True Worship
Matthew 6

 Introduction:

Let me tell you a story I heard this past week that was told by several years ago by John McArthur the expositor who just passed away. It concerns a modern day hypocrite impastor and since Matthew 6 concerns the hypocrites of the Gospels, the Pharisees so it is a good introduction. Now in the story McArthur didn’t use any names, but we are going to use Bennie, who is talking to Kennie and his wife, Bevie.  Bennie says he was born in 1926 and He was reading the Bible found his life verse, “Matthew 19:26 With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” This really excited Kenny and he says well I was born in 1934, Matthew 1934 can be my life verse. His wife looks it up, but there aren’t 34 verse in Matthew 19, so then she went to Mark but it only has 16 chapters, so that left Luke 1934 and so his wife read the verse. “And Jesus said, “I have need of him.” And whoa did they get excited, “there is it, there it is, my life verse says, Jesus has need of me. That is so appropriate, so true. Then his wife read on a little bit and said, “Oh no, you can’t use that one.” He asked why not and she said, “Well that is about the triumphal entry and Jesus is talking about a jackass.” Well when you think about it, that might actually be talking about him after all.

Review and amplify.

Let’s do a bit of review before we get to the hypocrites of Jesus day, instead of our day. In the opening of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus describes those who are “Blessed” those who are in the Kingdom of God, citizens of that Kingdom, these are those who have put their faith in Jesus, the King of the Kingdom of Heaven.  

The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-10 

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is a description of conviction, repentance and faith in the heart of a believer.  Though the Sermon On The Mount doesn’t fully explain salvation by grace through Jesus’ death on the cross. It was too early in Jesus’ ministry for that, yet it does describe those who are in the Kingdom in the Beatitudes.

Next Jesus told those who are in the Kingdom that they will peacemakers, the salt of the earth and the light of a city set on a hill. These are descriptions of the commission and the calling of the “Blessed” the believers, the saved.

Next in the fifth chapter Jesus told those in the multitude, who weren’t yet in the kingdom, that their righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He told them that the law could not open the gate to that Kingdom. The law does not make a person righteous but can only show them as unable to keep it and guilty under the law.

Jesus said that under the law, anger is the equivalent of murder - I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: … whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Lust is the same as adultery by the law - But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  

Divorce and remarriage breaks the law, “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Any oath given with God as your witness is sin - But I say unto you, Swear not at all; But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.  

Resisting evil is wrong, “I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Finally under the law, love for family or friend doesn’t count and for by the law, “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

So in the Sermon On the Mount, Jesus says the law can’t make you righteous because you can’t keep the law, you might as well pluck out your eyes and cut off your hands to try and make it work. The Law was not meant to make you righteous but to show that you are unrighteous before a Holy and just God.

The Principles Of The Sermon - But keep this in mind, after salvation, after realizing I can’t keep the law and I come to Jesus as a sinner, condemned unclean then through Christ, I can love my enemy, I can turn the other cheek, I can deal with lust, anger, oaths and all the rest. The law still shows me that I am a sinner but grace through faith has shown me that I can overcome sin through Christ and His gift of the Holy Spirit, who indwells me.

This is exactly what Paul teaches in the first few chapters of Romans. Romans 3:19-22 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Now in chapter 6 Jesus is going further in order to show that those outward works of righteousness performed by the self-righteous Pharisee aren’t works of righteousness at all but are really acts of hypocrisy. He is going teach that what is done outwardly for the praise of men is worthless and only that which is done inwardly for the love of God is true worship, a true outflowing of righteousness and worship.

Now lets get to Matthew 6 and Jesus’s Word about True Worship

True Worship Is Focused On The Heart – Matthew 6:1-18

Worshipping by Giving, Praying and Fasting

Matthew 6:1-4 True Worship Is Giving Spontaneously –

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Robertson’s NT Word Pictures says that this phrase “to be seen” is the Greek word θεαθηναι [theathēnai]. It is where we get our word theatrical and it means a spectacular performance. Jesus says they are like people who call attention to themselves by having a trumpet played before them as they walk in the streets. They are hypocrites and this word, hypocrite, goes with “putting on a show” because this is the word for an actor, someone who is impersonating somebody that he is not, a fake. In the Greek plays the actors would wear masks to show emotion. Jesus is labeling them with one of the harshest terms that He ever used.

In the final week of His life, He is warning His disciples of the insidious sin of the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 23. I’ll just share some excerpts where you can see how Jesus hated the self-righteous, hypocrisy and pretentiousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He says, Matthew 23:13-33 - But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: ...ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. ... Ye fools and blind, ... ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. ... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Christ hates the sin of hypocrisy, the sin of self-righteousness, the sin of being a fake Christian and especially, a fake Christian leader. Just imagine what He will do with many of the impastors, the charlatans, the liers, the hoaxsters and the false prophets who claim to be speaking for God in this day and time.

Now back in Matthew 6, He continues with another example of true worship in prayer.

Matthew 6:5-15- True Worship Is Praying From A Secret Place -

 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Now these verses are a sermon all by themselves but I’m going to try and just give an quick summary. Jesus is rebuking the outward show of prayer in public for the public. It is fake worship. He says when it comes to prayer don’t pray like the Pharisees do. At this time among the Pharisees there had evolved a routine of prayer, that was modeled after Daniel’s practice of praying seven times a day.

Much like the Muslims of our day praying 5 times a day towards Mecca and almost always in public, the Pharisees would hear a call to prayer and then stop whatever they were doing and wherever they were at and openly and ostentatiously pray, standing upright, with hands and face lifted toward heaven so that all around them could see how holy they were.

Jesus once again uses that phrase “to be seen” of men. He says it’s all just a show for others and that is the only reward they have. God does not see or hear their prayers only those around them who think they are in the presence of holiness are impressed. That is their only reward, the praise and admiration of foolish people and indeed that is why they are doing it. That admiration of the brainwashed and ignorant is what they are seeking. Just like the hypocrites we see in so many pulpits today.

Jesus says it is vanity, not holiness. He says don’t pray for public admiration but go into your payer closet, shut the door and pray secretly, privately. Then the Father who sees in secret can reward you openly.

We intuitively understand what Jesus means by a prayer closet. It is not a literally closet but a place of privacy, a place of solitude so that you can seek and speak to God.  The word literally means "a place of dispensing, a dispensary.” It was a room or a closet in home that was a storehouse, or a secret chamber where valuables were kept. Now that is a great application for a prayer closet, isn’t it. It is a private place, a quiet place where we go to be with God and from that place He dispenses what we need, be it sustenance or treasure. What a beautiful picture of prayer. It is not the physical location that is in view here. Jesus had his prayer closets in the Garden and sometimes upon the mountains or in the wilderness. It is not a place but an attitude and is comes with an understanding of what prayer really is. A time and a place where I go in the privacy of my heart and secret place of my soul to meet with God and from there God blesses me.

He instructs them not to use empty, vain repetitions like the heathen did then and like the Catholics, Muslims and Hindus do today. They have to repeat their prayers so much that they have prayer beads so they won’t lose count. As Jesus pointed out, they think they will be heard for the volume of their words. Be not like them, your Father already knows what you need before you ask. He doesn’t need information, He seeks communication, communing with His children.

Next Jesus doesn’t just tell them what to pray but He instructs them how to pray. He gives them what we popularly call the Lord’s prayer but is really the Lord’s Model prayer, it is here and in Luke has it in chapter 11.

I have a whole series of lessons on the Model prayer or Christ’s Blueprint for Prayer. I won’t reteach that now but here are the barebones of the Model prayer.

Matthew 6:9-15 Our Father which art in heaven, (The entrance to God is a relationship)

Hallowed be thy name. (The precursor to prayer is praise)

 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (The power of prayer is surrender to God’s work and will)

11 Give us this day our daily bread. (The attitude of prayer is total dependence on God)

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (The reality of prayer is mercy from God to you, from you to others.)

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: (The perspective of prayer is humility)

 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. (The result of prayer is exultation)  Amen. (The so be it, the final commitment of prayer.)

Jesus concludes by telling them, 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

There is so much we could say about the model prayer but overall Jesus is just telling them, “Your prayers are not for the ears of men but for the heart of God. Now go to your secret place and pray, keeping these things in mind when you pray.”

Next Jesus discusses fasting, another outward act by the Pharisees that Jesus said should not be apparent to those around you.

Matthew 6:16-18 - True Worship Is Fasting Secretly –

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

There is a lot of talk about fasting today for the purpose of health. Turns out God created us to go long periods without any food at all. When that happens the masterpiece of our body that God designed, uses stored fat for energy, it cleanses and detoxes the body and it works on the cellular level to renew us from the molecules of our cells upward. That is amazing but it’s not what Jesus is talking about here.

Jesus is talking about fasting for a spiritual purpose in the same way that prayer is for a spiritual purpose. To simply state it, fasting sets aside the physical in our life so that the spiritual in our life can be better experienced and understood. We can focus on prayer, on scripture, on God, on truth when we don’t take time or thought for food.

 Nor is it just about food. Fasting means take a break, cutting off the physical so that I can focus on the spirituaul

What can I use for an example here. Oh let me think. Hmmm, what can I use for an example that is physical, something that intrudes into every part of our life, its always before our eyes and it take our attention away from the things of God and rivets it instead to the things of this world. Hmmm, what could that be? Well, I’m at a loss but if you think of something, that keeps you from paying attention to God, even in the House of God, then yes, you should fast from that.  

Fasting lets us focus on God, it’s like prayer in that way and it is why the two are almost always mentioned together, fasting and prayer. And like prayer it is done secretly, covertly. You don’t pray for the praise of men and you don’t fast for the admiration of men. God rewards giving, prayer and fasting that is done from the secret place of our heart and He is the only one who we should care about in our acts of worship.

And we need more true worship in the form of prayer, giving and fasting. We need it, not God, not those around us but you and I, we need true worship.

 If we are to rise up out of the physical mire that we slog through day after day, then prayer, giving and fasting, true worship is the stairway that lets us rise above.

Conclusion

Lets bring this to a conclusion here, because the rest of chapter 6 is too important to rush through. What has Jesus taught us this morning? He has taught us that true worship is worship is from the heart and secret places of my soul.

True worship gives to God and others without looking around to see if anyone is watching first. True worship is prayer from my secret place and is directed toward God’s throne of grace. True worship is fasting from the physical things of this world and separating my spirit so that I can focus on the spiritual things of God.

When you listen to the words of Jesus and then rightly apply them to my own life, my own worship and righteousness the Sermon on the Mount moves from 2000 years ago to right here and right now. Some of us need experience what it is to be poor in spirit, to mourn for righteousness, to find mercy. Some need to move enter into the Kingdom of Heaven by opening the door of Jesus sacrifice, with the key of faith.

Some of us need to make peace, be salt and be light in this world as Jesus said we should, else we are good for nothing but to be trodden under the foot of the unbelieving.

Especially today we need to evaluate our worship by Jesus’ words of the Sermon On the Mount. Why am I giving, why am I praying, why am I fasting? Am I doing these things? Jesus said I should be doing them and I need to be doing them with the right attitude and understanding.

What do the word of Jesus say to you today? Let’s stand and sing a new song for us on the screen, “King of Heaven.