Sermon on the Mount, Part 5–Actions & Motives

A "Series within a Series" -- Matthew 6:1-18

• This sermon, and the two to follow, comprise a study of contrasts between the "hypocrite" and the disciple within the contexts of outward religious acts (giving, prayer, fasting), and the hearts and motives behind them.
• Q: What does "hypocrite" mean? (ie: "The church is full of hypocrites!")
• What a hypocrite is not: A person who confesses one thing and falls short of what he confesses to believe; a Christian who tries and fails.
• Strong's #5273:hupokrites (pronounced hoop-ok-ree-tace') from 5271; an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figuratively) a dissembler ("hypocrite":--hypocrite.) NLT Study Bible: "A person who pretends to be something that he or she is not. … The focus is on the sin of simulation and pretext, especially referring to those who presume they are righteous and condemn others."
• John 8:1-11 -- Woman caught in adultery: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." He who would then hurl a stone is a hypocrite; 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."

Matthew 6:1-4

Teaching about Giving to the Needy

1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

• Compare with Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Is Jesus contradicting Himself? Of course not.
• What are the motives and outcomes of these two verses? One is to be admired by others, but results in losing the reward from God; the other is to 'shine your light' to bring praise to God by all.

• Stained glass window analogy - Beautiful to look at, but completely fails at its job of letting light in and presenting a clear view of a subject

2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

• James 2:14-20, 26 - "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? … Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works."

• Our good deeds declare our faith long before our lips ever do; likewise, failing to live out what we profess undermines the message we are trying to convey to others.

3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 

• In other words, just as we don't give or do to earn the admiration of others, so we are not to keep our own mental record of our good deeds. Doing so can lead to pride. Our "good deeds" should become a natural overflow of who we are, and of the faith we have; as James implied, like breathing.
• Remember, our good deeds are an outward manifestation of God working in the lives of others through the gifts, talents, abilities, and resources He has entrusted to us.
• Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
• Ultimately, these same works which originate with Him end with Him. Matthew 25:31-40 - "...when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"
• If God calls us to put our faith into action in good words and giving to others as part of His divine plan, He will most assuredly provide the means by which we are to do so. Our responsibility, then, is to maintain a proper attitude and perspective.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 - "Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you."

4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

• We need to be the same people in private as we are in public. This isn't to say that we don't adopt certain social customs when with others; our private actions must be consistent with our public actions. (Worship team story)

Love is the most important component of faith and good deeds.

• Galatians 5:6b - "What is important is faith expressing itself in love." Here we see FAITH expressing itself (ACTION) in LOVE.
• 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 - "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing."
• Hebrews 10:24 - "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works." (Vision/Planning Meeting)