July 14, 2019
Morning Service

In our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, last week Jesus revealed to us the attitudes we should have towards giving and our prayer life.  Neither one is to be done as a show to bring attention to yourself, but they are to be done humbly and discreetly; it something that is personal between yourself and the Lord.   Jesus said we are to “not your left hand know what your right hand is doing” in accordance to your giving and to “go into your room and shut the door, pray to your Father.”  Sunday night we looked at what we all now call the “Lord’s Prayer.”  We discovered that Jesus gave us a very good pattern to follow in our prayers by His example.  Our prayers should include praise to God, a yielding of our will to His, a mention of our daily needs, and a cry for a help in our struggles.  Prayer changes things as it “moves the arm of the One who moves the world.”  As we begin today, Jesus again magnifies the forgiveness He mentioned in His prayer. 

Mat 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  (15)  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

            This scripture could be misinterpreted by saying that we “earn” our forgiveness from God by forgiving others which is not true; forgiveness from God is a free gift.  What it does mean is that if we truly understand and grasp the full meaning of the gift of God’s forgiveness that has been given to us, then we will then naturally offer that same forgiveness to others.  In Matthew 18, Jesus gives us the parable of the unforgiving servant as an example of his misunderstanding of this truth.  In summary, Jesus has again magnified the law for us revealing to us that we are to love others just as Jesus loved us.  He offered us forgiveness when we did not deserve it and we are to do the same to others.  Easily understood, but sometimes very difficult to do.  In reality when you forgive others it is for the clearing of your heart not theirs.  As a Christ follower, forgiveness plays a big part of the journey we are on.  When we forgive others we are imitating our Savior who forgave us.

Mat 6:16-18 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  (17)  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

            Jesus again explains the proper way to fast by telling us how not to do it.  Fasting like giving and prayer is not meant to bring attention to yourself, but it is a private, personal matter between you and your Lord.  We are instructed to go about our day just as if it was normal not making a big show to make people perceive you a holy or to feel sorry for you.  Fasting by definition is doing without food during a certain time period (it could be a single meal or multiple days) in order to bring your mind and body more in tune with what God is doing in your life.  Many do it on a regular basis and others do it at a time of need or a decision that needs to be made in their lives.  Jesus fasted for forty days to prepare Himself for the beginning of His earthly ministry.  Fasting is often referred to as a “spiritual discipline” much like prayer and Bible study.  It is a tool that each of us can use to draw closer to God.  It is a powerful experience that as your body cries out for its need for food, you in turn cry out spiritually to your Heavenly Father for your need for Him.  Jesus again promises God will reward you openly for doing this in secret.

Mat 6:19-24 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  (21)  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (22)  "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  (23)  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  (24)  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

            Jesus is quite clear and easily understood here in His statement that we can only serve one master.  We live in a very materialistic society where money and things sit as the king of the world’s hearts.  The desire to acquire consumes people even to the point of far outweighing their commitment to the Lord; “where your treasure is, there is your heart also.”  We have all met people like this who in every conversation about life money or things dominate the entire conversation as they speak from their heart.  Jesus confirms for us that we have to choose who it is we serve, because “no one can serve two masters.”  By asking ourselves some questions, we can quickly analyze where our treasure and heart lies.  What is it I think about most during the day?  What do I talk to others about the majority of the time?  Where do I spend my money?  How do I view my giving of how I have prospered to the Lord; as a joy to give or a burden?  Am I investing in heaven more than I am in this world?  Be careful not to get caught in the trap of greed for more.

            Jesus helps us to understand that it is the perspective that we see this world in that truly matters.  If our eyes focus more on the eternal of God and His promises (light) we are in good shape, but if we are constantly dwelling only on acquiring more for this earth (darkness) then we have a problem.  We are not forbidden from accumulating wealth, but we are warned not to invest too greatly in something that can be stolen or lost in an instant.  We are to invest in heaven with our giving, prayer and fasting where nothing is ever taken from us for eternity; every penny given away, every word of your prayers, and every sacrifice you make to draw closer to God is received in heaven and stored forever.  Do you believe this to be true?  Are you doing it?

  We all need to come to point of moderation in our lifestyle always keeping the proper perspective of putting the things of God first (6:33).  Be a cheerful giver with what you have been blessed with and be content with whatever you have left managing it well.  We all are blessed to have more than the majority of the whole world, and it is okay to enjoy that privilege as long as we do not abuse it keeping our eyes always focused upon Christ. The blessing of riches can be our greatest curse is we allow greed to enter into our lives. 

In summary, forgiveness needs to be a routine part of our lives, fasting can be used to draw us closer to God, and we should be sure we are investing heavily in God’s eternal retirement fund.  As Jesus continues this teaching tonight, we will see His cure for worry and a clear vision of where our priorities should lie.

 

Heavenly Father please mold our hearts to be forgiving, to desire a closer relationship with You and to invest heavily in our heavenly home.