Pleasing God Over Man, Part 1 (Chester).

Nate Schlomann

[0:00] pray with me father we are grateful to be here Lord we’re thankful for your [0:06] grace this morning father I pray as we transition into a time of hearing from [0:13] your word Lord that you would be present that you would you would help us to [0:18] receive your word this morning help it to penetrate our minds and our hearts [0:22] Lord and I pray change in all of us specifically this morning Lord I pray [0:26] that we would we would be able to measure our hearts to look at our

[0:34] motivations to look into them and see Lord what what’s actually driving us [0:39] but I pray that as a church we would be a people who seek to please you over man [0:44] in all areas of our life we ask this in your name amen we’ll go ahead and have a [0:51] Good morning to you my name is Clint I’m a campus pastor right here at our [0:58] campus of the church right here in Chester and so I’m glad to be with you [1:02] this morning grateful that you have come out to join us morning and excited to

[1:07] be with you here preaching and we’re gonna continue on preaching verse by [1:13] verse really through the book of Matthew and so pastor Steve will be back with us [1:18] next week to continue our series but this morning we really want to pick it [1:22] up in Matthew chapter 6 and so if you have your Bible’s go ahead and get there [1:26] we’re going to be covering verses 1 through 4 this morning and so I’m [1:31] excited to do that with you but we find ourselves in Matthew 6 and it’s really

[1:36] right in the middle of Jesus’s most famous sermon and that’s the sermon on [1:42] the mount and in this Jesus is really giving us a picture he’s telling his [1:46] disciples what it looks like to have a genuine relationship with God what it [1:52] looks like to have a genuine relationship with God and how to be a [1:56] disciple how to be a disciple in the kingdom that he has ushered in and so [2:02] that’s really what we’re going into this morning now this morning to be honest

[2:08] isn’t a text that most preachers would gladly just jump to in fact it probably [2:14] gets avoided more than often but when you go verse by verse through a book [2:19] that’s what happens and so it’s a good thing it’s one that we ought not to not [2:24] to overlook and in it we’re going to see that Jesus actually has a warning for us [2:30] about our faith and so as a as a as a good father the Lord is using Jesus to [2:36] teach us a warning message that really will keep us from disaster and so

[2:44] let me go ahead and read the first two verses for us this morning again Matthew [2:49] 6 1 to 2 here beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in [2:55] order to be seen by them for then you will have no reward from your father who [3:00] is in heaven thus when you give to the needy sound no trumpet before you as the [3:05] hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be praised by [3:12] truly I say to you they have received their reward now as we’ll see this

[3:17] morning one of the biggest dangers one of the biggest threats to our faith if [3:21] you’re in Christ this morning if you know him one of the biggest threats to [3:25] your faith is probably not that you’re going to become a drug addict or fall [3:31] into any gravest obvious sin but it’s more probably the fact that you’re going [3:36] to start doing the right things for the wrong reasons that you might wake up one [3:42] day and realize that you’re doing a lot of good things a lot of things that God’s

[3:48] instructed us to do a lot of things that he’s given us to do but he’s given us to [3:53] do them because we’re to make much of him and therefore his glory but we might [3:58] find that our motivation is actually shifted from wanting to please him [4:02] wanting to show him as glorious to actually ourselves wanting to receive [4:09] that glory and so what that really means in a nutshell is instead of pointing [4:14] others to Jesus and a God that’s worthy of our worship we actually start doing

[4:19] religious deeds not for that purpose but that people might make much of [4:25] us that they might actually give glory to us we want the credit we don’t want [4:32] give the credit and so this is a very dangerous thing it’s a subtle thing and [4:36] I think that’s what we’re going to see in the text but that’s where we’re going [4:41] this morning and so let’s get started again so as Jesus starts off here his [4:49] point is this his point is this living for the praise of others is a dead end

[4:54] that’s point number one this morning living for the praise of others is a [5:00] so to that point Jesus starts out here with kind of a warning in verse one he [5:04] says beware beware now when Jesus says beware that’s a cue right we got to [5:12] listen up because here’s the deal Jesus knows our blind spots he knows more [5:18] about our hearts than we actually know about ourselves and so he’s saying be [5:23] where that means man he’s getting ready to clue me in on something that I need

[5:28] to be awake to otherwise I’ll find myself asleep to it that tends to be [5:33] the way of it now think of it this way Jesus is about to warn us kind of like [5:38] we’re about to warn our kids or we we often spend time warning our children if [5:43] you’ve had young children if you have them now if you’re in the midst of that [5:46] you know that at times you’re constantly warning them of a danger that lurks [5:53] that’s not on their radar right I mean I’ve got a son who likes like it seems

[5:59] like his most his favorite places to play are right at the top of the steps [6:04] and at the bottom of our driveway closest to the road and so maybe some of [6:08] you guys have experienced that but the reality is he’s not looking at that as a [6:15] danger he’s looking at whatever he’s trying to do he’s just trying to play [6:19] have a good time but I as his father know that man dangers lurking and if [6:24] he’s not alert he’s gonna wreck himself and that will happen and that’s what

[6:29] really Jesus is kind of trying to get into us here right from the start so [6:34] verse 1 beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in [6:39] order to be seen with them now one of the beautiful things about going verse [6:42] by verse is you know what Jesus said if you were with us if not we’re gonna go [6:46] back anyway so don’t don’t don’t be too broke about that but you might remember [6:52] and didn’t Jesus say we should do our works in front of people then you just

[6:56] say that back in Matthew 5 let’s go ahead and look at it real quick and [7:00] maybe see what’s going on you know some people like to try to say that the Bible [7:04] contradicts itself often and really the reality is it never actually does it [7:10] never actually does and this won’t be the case as we’ll see here either verse [7:14] 14 Matthew 5 14 and 15 it says this you are the light of the world a city on a [7:20] hill cannot be hidden nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket

[7:25] but on a stand and it gives light to all the house in the same way let your light [7:31] shine before others so that they may see your good works and do what give glory [7:37] to your father who is in heaven so directly right there Jesus is talking [7:42] about really what he’s made us Jesus the the king really has entered into the [7:49] world to save us and he hasn’t just left us where yet but rather he’s made us [7:53] into a new creation one that’s eager and has a desire and a taste to be distinct

[7:58] in this world we’re gonna be distinct in this world because we are going to want [8:03] to actually honor God in our lives we’re actually gonna look very different than [8:08] the world and Jesus says when you do that people are gonna see a difference [8:13] they’re gonna see the reality that Jesus has come and he’s come to create a new [8:19] man and they need that and so that’s what he’s doing there now so he does not [8:26] condemn that now if we go back to let’s go back to chapter 6 there and read it

[8:33] says beware of practicing your righteousness before other people there’s [8:38] the key in order to be seen by them all right so Jesus shows us really what [8:46] he’s condemning here he’s not condemning a good work doesn’t mean that you’re [8:50] never to do good works in front of folks it doesn’t mean that you’re trying to [8:54] somehow hide every single thing that you do in your life but what it does mean is [8:59] you cannot do it to be seen by others the motivation issue is the reason why

[9:08] you’re doing it that Jesus is concerned about and so right off the bat we need [9:12] to understand one thing we need to understand that Jesus knows our hearts [9:16] again better than we do and he judges our hearts and so it’s not just works [9:21] that he’s concerned about it’s not just our fruit that we bear in a physical [9:25] way and in a real way but rather it’s the actual heart that’s behind it what’s [9:32] our motive what moves us are we doing these deeds to be seen by others and he

[9:38] says that’s the problem with these folks that’s the problem with these folks the [9:43] Pharisees and the hypocrites that Jesus is describing here are seeking to be [9:48] seen when they give to the needy they want the praise of others and really [9:53] that’s their motivation and so that is what Jesus is condemning now early in [9:59] the week I was kind of thinking about this and I think it’s helpful in [10:02] thinking through one of the things that we realize with these two passages is

[10:07] that let’s say you have an opportunity to really either witness or you know [10:12] maybe it’s at work or maybe in your community or wherever you hang out for [10:16] your coaching teams or whatever it is that you’re doing maybe you have an [10:20] opportunity to actually do something that’s distinctly Christian right [10:24] whether that’s whether that’s standing up for the Christian worldview or whether [10:29] that’s actually pointing to the truth of the gospel whatever it may be you have a

[10:33] chance to do that but you’re surrounded by who by mostly unbelievers and so our [10:40] tendency in that moment right might be to what maybe hide right maybe I don’t [10:48] want to speak up maybe I don’t want to do this work because it’s going to cost [10:52] me reputation perhaps but in a different circle in the Christian circle right in [10:57] the circles that a lot of us run in man if you do that work in front of them [11:02] what’s that get you it might give me props right that might that might get me

[11:08] a pat on the back at that a boy that might draw attention to how good I am [11:14] and so that that’s the reality so I think one rule of thumb that you can [11:19] kind of use to think about this is you need to kind of think hey when you’re [11:24] when you’re tempted to hide you should show you should show that work you should [11:28] take that leap of faith you should trust Jesus you should have boldness to stand [11:34] but when you’re tempted to show you should probably hide you should

[11:40] try to do your work in secret like the text tells us to so now let’s get back [11:46] to really back to this warning that he’s given us he’s saying that if you’re [11:50] not careful you can in fact wake up and find yourself doing things for the wrong [11:55] reasons I think we recognize this tendency but we always are looking at [11:59] other people when we do it so we might recognize that you know you might think [12:03] of some celebrities or politicians or folks that oftentimes will be at I don’t

[12:08] know some kind of charity event or they’re doing a good deed or they’re out [12:12] but yeah they’re raising some money for some folks they’re trying to do good [12:16] maybe you don’t want to judge their hearts too much but oftentimes we see [12:19] through it right we see it as a platform to really advance their name and not so [12:24] much that they’re doing it for the glory of God and the good of others they’re [12:29] actually there to boost themselves and so I think we see that sometimes we’re

[12:34] like yeah these people are egomaniacs right I mean what is wrong with them but [12:40] I want us to realize something that what lurks in their heart lurks in our heart [12:45] as well as sinners since the fall we all have we all have a craving for the [12:53] praise of men that exists within you it exists within all of us and so let’s [12:59] look at how Jesus describes these guys right what’s he say about him he says [13:05] here’s what they do when they give to the needy well he says sound no trumpet

[13:09] but it basically is painting a picture as if when they go to give to the needy [13:15] it’s as if they’re sounding a trumpet now I don’t think most people don’t [13:19] think they were actually sounding a trumpet but Jesus is showing us that [13:23] that’s a ridiculous idea but it’s one that people do it’s one that we might if [13:29] we’re not careful end up and wake up one day with a trumpet trying to [13:34] announce all of our good deeds to people or we end up trying to show our good

[13:39] deeds for the for the praise of man now again I doubt many of us I don’t know if [13:49] you know your heart do you know that this lurks within you I got a couple [13:52] questions and maybe try to convince you if you need convincing that the praise [13:57] of man really does exist in you here’s an example when you do something good [14:03] and I mean like I don’t mean just any good thing I mean something that you [14:08] really dug deep to do something that was out of the ordinary and it just man it

[14:13] was such a hard job right I think of you know I’ll give you a silly example at [14:20] home right if I if I change a diaper on my son and it was just I mean one of [14:25] the ones that like nobody wants to change right one of the ones that [14:29] actually made it out of the diaper into that man I know for me I want my wife to [14:36] know about that right now I know some of you guys might lie say you don’t but [14:44] that that’s what I want what now why do I want that I want her to know what I did

[14:50] I want her to know the extent that I went for that and so we want credit [14:58] everybody wants credit for what they do the question is should you be fine with [15:03] nobody knowing about it we got something for that in point number three but not [15:08] yet all right and so that might be an example now you might envision that for [15:13] yourself maybe at home or at work or at church maybe maybe it’s not everybody [15:19] right so you know we look at the stars we’re like oh they want everybody to

[15:23] they want everybody to know him but that’s not necessarily true for us [15:26] sometimes it’s just a person or two right something sometimes it’s just a [15:31] person or two sometimes if you can get this person or a specific person’s [15:35] approval or if you can get them to notice you man that’s what you’re after [15:41] it can only be one person that’s still the praise of men you’re still concerned [15:47] with approval from them over approval from God maybe you guys are Facebook

[15:55] people maybe your Instagram I don’t know any of the other ones but yeah there you [16:03] go snapchat I know you got me buddy but but yes that’s it people post up hey [16:08] man it’s not a problem to post stuff but what if nobody likes your post well if [16:14] you don’t get the little thumbs up thing a little smiley face or whatever [16:17] are you alright with that or do you wonder if everybody hates you does it do [16:25] anything to you does it hurt you measure your heart what are you actually doing

[16:29] something for sometimes you might see other people get credit you might see [16:34] other people get praised by men maybe somebody saw their good deed and gave [16:38] them a that a boy right but they didn’t see yours they didn’t give you a that a [16:45] boy and you’re mad that this guy’s getting some praise and you’re not again [16:50] example of the praise of men right so this thing is intoxicating and it really [16:55] is we do love it there’s a there’s a reason we want it part of the reason is

[16:59] it’s instantaneous right we get it we love to boost ourselves we love applause [17:05] we almost can’t stand when people don’t know what what what we’ve done the good [17:11] that we’ve done you know it is subtle at first but left unchecked this problem [17:16] can lead you to being the type of people that Jesus described in this text he [17:22] calls them I mean they’re Pharisees they’re hypocrites they’re people who [17:25] are doing things on the outside but the insides all wrong and that was really

[17:31] they were out in front of everybody trying to show how devoted they were to [17:36] God and how much they love God by doing this this this God-given task but it was [17:41] all a sham it really was about everybody seeing how good they were and so that’s [17:47] Jesus’s beef with their good work he says men they already received their [17:52] treasure they got there they got their pat on the back which is really no reward [17:58] look at how serious this is look at John 12 42 to 43 there it says

[18:02] nevertheless even many even of the authorities believed in him believed in [18:07] Jesus but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it so that they would [18:12] not be put out of the synagogue for they love the glory that comes from man more [18:18] than the glory that comes from God and so look at the severity of this look at [18:24] the severity of this if you love the praise of man it affects your worship [18:28] you can’t actually even follow Jesus as a fully devoted follower of him it gets

[18:34] in the way of it you cannot please man and please God simultaneously you can’t [18:41] have an aim of pleasing man and end up pleasing God you have to have an aim of [18:46] pleasing God in order to be really any good and do any good for man now [18:54] we need to understand that left unchecked this is what what’s gonna [18:59] happen so I’m just gonna give you some real quick points on and how we guard [19:03] ourself against this here’s one way everybody hates hypocrites right I mean

[19:08] I don’t need to do a poll I know that you do we all do so don’t become one [19:14] don’t become one it’s pretty simple but just just a suggestion number two no [19:22] know that the reward that you get from people isn’t worth it Jesus says they [19:26] already received their reward that’s not worth it man it’s instantaneous it’s [19:31] it’s so temperamental and you know what it’s actually gonna do it’s like a drug [19:35] it’s gonna give you a thirst for more you’re gonna have to go constantly

[19:39] impress these same people you have to live up to the facade that you’ve [19:44] painted and that’s gonna hinder you from ever being able to grow in Jesus because [19:50] it’s all about pleasing somebody else it’s all about keeping up their [19:55] perception of you number three when it when it comes to our motivations God [20:01] cares you guys got to know that God cares now I know our motivations are [20:05] jacked because of because of sin and and your motivations are going to they are

[20:11] gonna kind of be wound up in you but keep track of them keep track of them [20:17] test yourself also I would say set your heart as we’re gonna see on pleasing [20:23] God make that your treasure and your heart will follow all right so also [20:29] follow Jesus and really the reality is Jesus doesn’t just leave us here with [20:35] this point he’s actually gonna give us real tips on how to do this and so [20:40] Jesus is actually here going to apply what he’s saying and that’s why number

[20:45] two this morning is giving is not an if it’s a win giving is not an if it’s a [20:51] win let’s check it out verse two and three thus when you give to the needy [20:57] sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in [21:01] the streets that they may be praised by others truly I say to you they have [21:06] received their reward but when you give to the needy do not let your left hand [21:12] know what your right hand is doing now there’s a way that we we can please God

[21:17] in our giving and then there’s a way that we can please man in our giving the [21:22] Pharisees demonstrated that that was hey I’m gonna give to the needy whether [21:27] that’s my money or my time whatever it is I’m gonna I’m gonna serve them to be [21:33] seen and to get praise from people not to please God but first notice him [21:41] notice in verse two really really verse two and three was it say there says [21:47] when you give to the needy says when you give to the needy doesn’t say if you

[21:52] give to the needy says when you give to the needy so what do we take away with [21:56] that well it’s a it’s an implication Jesus expects us to give to the needy [22:03] and he tells us even how to go about doing it and so really in this point it’s [22:10] it’s just this is not a sermon on the theology of giving I’ll just put it that [22:15] way okay I’ve got time to go through a couple quick principles with you this [22:20] morning but but it but it’s not that and so let me just help us a little bit

[22:25] here there are two types of giving we’re gonna look at one type first and then [22:29] we’ll look at the type that I think Jesus is kind of drawing our attention to [22:32] and prodding us to do in a way that pleases him and so let’s go ahead and [22:39] look at it now in the New Testament letters we see really a precedent for [22:45] the church being established and as it’s being established Christians have a [22:48] priority of giving regularly to the work of the church and so giving regularly is

[22:54] a part of the Christian life and it is a part of the Christian life that pleases [22:58] God now it’s not everything but we can’t skip it let’s look at first [23:02] Corinthians 6 1 to 2 there it says now concerning the collection for the saints [23:07] as I directed the churches of Galatia so you also are to do on the first day [23:15] of every week each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he [23:21] may prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come now the example

[23:26] you get here really is what giving looked like in the New Testament churches [23:30] as churches were planted and grew and so what is he really [23:36] extorting us to do here it says you’re to put something aside you’re to store [23:40] it up as you prosper and so people are to give in proportion to what God gives [23:46] them and they’re to do it on a regular basis and real real simply without [23:50] getting into much it’s to be sacrificial and regular and so that’s a good

[23:55] principle just to kind of baseline through giving and so it’s a basic [24:01] principle but in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is is not so much talking about [24:06] that and so giving isn’t just limited to that there’s actually a little bit more [24:11] here he says that we are to give directly to the needy were to give to [24:17] the needy now this isn’t necessarily a regular thing but it is something again [24:21] it’s a when you give it’s not an if and so I’m just going to give us a few

[24:27] principles here and really think through some things I think we struggle to [24:32] contextually if you’re like me I think we I think we struggle a little bit here [24:37] but the reality is we do have to give to the needy so number one you got to know [24:44] people to know their needs all right you got to know people to know your to know [24:48] their needs and so for us as Christians we ought to be the type of people who [24:54] one want to love our neighbors and so by implication there you’re going to

[24:58] actually know some people and if you’re committed to knowing and loving your [25:02] neighbor in any context that you find yourself eventually you’re going to find [25:08] people with some type of needs now as we think through again right here we need to [25:16] be primarily concerned with the people in our close proximity this would be a [25:20] personal thing I think some of the problem that we have with giving a needy [25:23] is we just kind of form it out right we just throw monies at organizations that

[25:27] do work or they do work in the area that we don’t live or overseas a lot of [25:32] those things are good and right and if you do them great if you don’t maybe [25:35] consider it but where needs are actually you know overwhelming need for water, [25:43] food, shelter, medicine, those types of things these are these are folks who are [25:49] in need and so working with organizations that do that is certainly fun but as a [25:54] Christian you need to be concerned about the people in your proximity look at

[25:57] James 2, 15 to 16 if a brother or sister is poorly clothed or lacking in daily [26:04] food and one of you says to them go in peace be warmed and filled without [26:10] giving them the things they needed for the body what good is that? You see [26:15] Christians we ought to have a posture of seeing a need and filling a need of [26:21] seeing a need and filling the need and so we ought to be eager to do that so [26:27] you know when we do run across those in need I think one rule of thumb is what’s

[26:32] your kind of what’s your gut reaction you know do you think about it a whole [26:38] lot you man should I give I don’t know if this guy really is in need I know if [26:43] you’re like me sometimes you find yourself in those predicaments where [26:46] it’s like man I don’t know if this guy’s just out here he could actually be [26:51] working Paul does give exhortation that those who don’t work shouldn’t eat and [26:58] so we don’t want to get hustled but I want us to take note is it because we

[27:02] are stingy it’s because we want to have a close tight grip on our money or what [27:07] we could offer that person or time maybe a ride I don’t know what it could be [27:11] could be anything so just think about that that’s one thing now back to back [27:19] to really the reality here that kind of we face now in this country this always [27:24] comes up when we talk about this kind of stuff you know our tax dollars do go [27:28] toward helping the needy and in America a lot of the needs are met by those tax

[27:34] dollars through government programs some charitable programs those kinds of [27:37] things and so that’s good but that doesn’t necessarily alleviate us or [27:42] doesn’t get us all the way off the hook of actually giving to the needy now I [27:47] think it’s a good thing that by and large by and large there’s not droves [27:53] at least in your proximity probably of folks who have no clothing no food no [28:02] shelter they’re around I would say we we should do what we can for those people

[28:07] we need to be more intentional in that and I’d say I’d really encourage you to [28:11] through how how you could practically do that but the reality is the fact that [28:18] the fact that many of us can’t fill tons of physical needs in our close proximity [28:24] means not that we’re free but we’re freed up to do other things and that’s a good [28:28] thing that’s a good thing we’re freed up to meet needs of the people I want to [28:32] remind us that the the deepest need that everybody has are spiritual needs and

[28:38] those needs are the priority that we see precedent for in the scripture check [28:45] it out in Acts 3 5 to 6 says and he fixes attention on them this a beggar [28:52] who was lame from birth fix their attention on him Peter and Jonathan [28:59] expecting to receive something from them but Peter said I have no silver and gold [29:04] but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk [29:12] now in the day of the apostles poverty was far more widespread than it is in our immediate

[29:17] context yet we still see the prioritizing of the gospel to meet the spiritual needs [29:23] of the people and so I would argue that we’re not free to not care for the needy but we are [29:29] in ways free to use more of our resources more of our time more of our energy in meeting the [29:36] spiritual needs of the people now in all this we can’t lose track the sermon is really about [29:45] it is about that but it’s also more about our motivation in doing it and so if we’re not doing [29:50] those things I would tell us to do what do we want to please God do we want to please God with our

[29:58] giving do we want to please God with the way that we care for our neighbors the way that we love [30:02] our neighbors now verse 3 says don’t let don’t let your left hand know what your right hand [30:09] is doing now here’s what that means it means when you have a chance to give do it don’t think too [30:16] much about it don’t tell yourself too much about it just let your right hand give and then forget [30:24] it you don’t need to keep tabs on what you do you don’t need to remind yourself of all your good [30:30] deeds you see you’re your own audience too and that’ll puff you up that’ll cause spiritual pride

[30:37] your righteousness will be self-built not a righteousness that’s built on Christ’s righteousness [30:46] and so I would encourage that now

[30:51] lastly this morning in all this again we want to we want to remember this is really a sermon about [30:58] our motivations why we do what we do and God knows our hearts he knows why we do what we do [31:04] and so we can’t hide that from him and so lastly this morning pleasing God is a good desire [31:12] pleasing God is a good desire you guys believe that pleasing God is a good desire as I was [31:17] thinking through this one of the things that we I think in Christian circles sometimes we [31:24] we get a little bit a little bit geeked out when we think about one thing in this text where he

[31:30] mentions rewards and we’ll get to that but we get a little geeked out when we think man [31:34] why should I do why should I do this it’s a simple desire is and just you do it because you want to [31:41] please God that’s a good desire to have now Jesus certainly cares about our desires one of the [31:48] beautiful things about Jesus’s work in saving us is that he actually gives us right desires he makes [31:54] us a new creation and so your heart if it’s been changed should yearn to please your father in [32:04] heaven now just if I haven’t made it clear I want to draw us back real quick you really have three

[32:09] options whereas pleasing is concerned you you you can’t be free of the praise of somebody [32:15] you can’t if you’re a Christian your options are you can live you shouldn’t live I’m saying your [32:22] option is you you can at times do this you can live for the pleasure of yourself you can live [32:27] to please yourself you can live to please people or you can live to please God those are really [32:33] options and if you’re if you’re not a Christian if you’re an unbeliever you really only have two [32:40] you can please yourself or you can please others and and so that is how we operate but my simple

[32:46] question for us is do we want to please God is that actually a desire that we find ourselves [32:52] thinking through when we go to make decisions about how we live our life whether that’s on a [32:59] daily basis or our big long-term plan is a is a real motivation for you to just please God [33:06] with all that you do with your life in your family with your life in the church with your [33:12] life with your neighbors in your life with unbelievers you want to be pleasing with God pleased [33:20] pleasing God more than anything else look at verse 4 it says and your father who sees you

[33:25] secret will reward you now God says that he sees you God says that he sees you

[33:35] so what does that mean well that means he’s our audience so when we do that thing that we do when [33:41] we do the deed that we might be tempted to want other people to know about what are we to do [33:46] we’re to know that he saw it and he promises to reward us is God [33:54] as the only audience is that enough for you are you okay with that are you pleased with that is [34:02] that actually a good thing in your mind and so I beg you to think about that now he should be [34:09] now think about this too kids want to please their fathers that’s wired into them by God they want

[34:15] to please their parents they want to please their fathers it’s wired into us when God makes us a new [34:20] creation it’s a good motivation I’d encourage you if it’s not one of those things that moves you [34:26] to start using it as that now our father will reward us and I want to clarify something real [34:32] quick the reward here is not the way to heaven all right the reward that he talks about here [34:38] is not salvation there is no work salvation there’s nothing that you can do on your own [34:44] to work your way to God Jesus provides the righteousness we need to be reconciled with God

[34:50] it’s only through his perfect life and his death on our behalf that we can be reconciled to God [34:56] and so I would I would just encourage you don’t think that way sometimes we get geeked out by [35:01] reward well I don’t want to I don’t want a motivation that I’m trying to get a reward [35:04] from God because that might lead me to thinking about a workspace salvation I get that but that’s [35:11] what it says here so he does talk about there is a reward now again you’re not necessarily to seek [35:17] to the reward reward but he does say that when you do things to please God you’ll have a reward

[35:25] now you’ve got to believe that you’ve got to believe one that he sees it and then two that [35:29] God’s actually going to reward you for it if your motivation is right if your heart is right if your [35:36] is to please him over pleasing man you can take that to the bank now real quick Ephesians 5 10 [35:46] says this try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord [35:53] so in everything that you do again I was just kind of mentioning this as you think through what [35:57] you actually do with your life is this desire showing up anywhere is this a motivation is this

[36:04] something that’s moving you in any decision that you are making now it’s a real part of faith to [36:12] actually believe that God sees you and to believe that he is going to reward you and whatever he [36:18] rewards us with in eternity is going to be far better than anything you could actually attain [36:25] for yourself here so he’s going to get into that later on in Matthew but if you have faith in Jesus [36:32] if you trust him for salvation then you’ve got to also trust that he sees you and trust that as [36:39] you lay down your life as you submit to discipleship as you take up your cross and die as you love

[36:47] enemies as you do all the hard things that he’s going to call us to has called us to in the book [36:52] of Matthew that it’s going to be worth it that all those things done for the glory of God are [37:00] going to result in a most glorious existence of most glorious reward his presence number one God [37:08] himself but a new creation an eternity with him look real quick at Hebrews 11 6 last one here [37:18] says without faith it is impossible to please him for whoever would draw near to God must believe [37:26] that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him so step one is trusting Jesus

[37:34] but part of demonstrating real faith is believing what I just said is believing that when you follow [37:42] him when it doesn’t seem like much is happening in your Christian life you’re seeking the praise of [37:50] his name when you’re seeking to make him known to others when you’re seeking to make him so known [37:55] that maybe you’re facing persecution of different types it’s going to be worth it he sees it and [38:03] it’s worth it because he sees it and it’s doing something it’s pointing to him as the glory that [38:09] people need to see you need that hope when you get tired and as a Christian you’re going to get

[38:15] tired discipleship is a long hard road but God sees you and when you live for him from the heart [38:25] you can take to the bank the reward that he has for you and it’s going to be worth it as we close [38:32] this morning each Sunday here at village we remember that our righteousness isn’t built [38:39] our reconciliation with God isn’t built on our works it’s not built on anything that we’ve [38:45] actually done on our own but it’s actually been accomplished for us by Jesus that he came he [38:51] lived a perfect life he died the death that he didn’t deserve he died that in our place

[38:59] he takes our sin he pays for him and he gives us his righteousness and justifies us before [39:04] the holy and righteous God so this morning as we close there’s four tables around the room [39:11] on them the bread and the cup the bread reckons represents his body that was broken for us the [39:18] blood that was poured out for the forgiveness of our sin that he purchased us with and so [39:25] as you partake this morning if you’re a Christian partake remember the death of Christ remember [39:31] his righteousness and celebrate his righteousness on your behalf this morning tables are open to you