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RIGHT MOTIVES
  MATTHEW 6:1-18

  SEPTEMBER 16, 2012
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
 JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
         USA
©2012 LifeWay Christian
Resources of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
Reproduction is prohibited
without the express written
consent of LifeWay
Christian Resources SBC.
RIGHT MOTIVES
When You Give
 Matt. 6:1-4
When You Pray
 Matt. 6:5-13
When You Fast
 Matt. 6:16-18
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
What This Lesson Is
About: MOTIVES

As followers of Jesus, why
we seek to obey God is as
important as what we do.
The truths taught in this
lesson can help us:

*do the right things
*in the right way
*for the right reasons.
When we Christians are
living out our faith, we
need to keep close tabs on
our motivations.

We should ask ourselves
these tough questions:
*Are we seeking to please
God or ourselves?
*Is our aim more to
advance God’s kingdom
or to build a reputation?
*Is our service Christ-
centered or self-centered?
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6
can guide us to do the
right things for the right
reasons.
When You Give
Matthew 6:1-4 HCSB
1“Be careful not to
practice your
righteousness in front of
people, to be seen by
them. Otherwise, you
will have no reward from
your Father in Heaven.
2 So whenever you give
to the poor, don’t sound a
trumpet before you, as
the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the
streets, to be applauded
by people. I assure you:
They’ve got their reward!
3 But when you give to
the poor, don’t let your
left hand know what
your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may
be in secret. And your
Father Who sees in secret
will reward you.”

   Matthew 6:1-4 HCSB
Jesus knew all of us are
naturally self-centered, so
He cautioned:
“Be careful not to practice
your righteousness in
front of people, to be
seen by them” (v. 1).
Jesus earlier had said we
are to do our good works
“before men, so that they
may see” them and glorify
the Father (5:16).
So in Matthew 6:1, was He
saying the opposite?
The greatest difference
between the two verses
lies in motivation.
In 5:16, the motive is to
glorify the Father, not to
be seen.
In 6:1, the motive is to be
seen, not to glorify the
Father.
The word translated “to
be seen” in 6:1 has the
same root from which we
get the English word
theater.
If we make our acts of
righteousness a theatrical
performance in which we
have the leading role, we
need expect no applause
from the Father.
He has no reward for that
kind of service.
Last week in Matthew
chapter 5 we saw where
Jesus used six examples of
righteousness that surpassed
that of scribes and Pharisees.
Those examples had to do
with relating to people:
Practice mercy rather than
murder, faithfulness to
spouses in thought and deed,
marriage building rather than
marriage breaking, be known
for truthfulness rather than
deception, forgiveness rather
than retaliation, and love
rather than hate.
Here in 6:1-18 He used three
examples to illustrate
righteousness in religious
devotion that surpassed that
of scribes and Pharisees.
The first is giving, which
does relate to people.
Giving also, along with
praying and fasting, was
considered to be an act of
spiritual devotion to God.
Jesus obviously assumed His
followers would be gracious
givers, for He said,
“whenever you give to the
poor,” not “if you give”.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Today, because taxes
finance numerous social
services for lower income
people, some believers
excuse themselves from
personal charitable
giving.
An excuse is the skin of a
reason.

Highway patrolman and
excuses…
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Others avoid giving by
wrongly stereotyping all
poor people as unwilling
to work, wanting
something for nothing, or
victims of their own bad
choices—addicted
poor stewards, being
sexually immoral, or
committing crimes.
When in reality, some
were downsized, laid off,
crushed by medical
expenses, deserted or
abused by spouses,
scammed of resources, or
are emotionally or
physically disabled.
In either case, children
often are materially and
emotionally deprived.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Granted, poverty seems to
be a puzzle society can’t
solve (26:11).
Matthew 26:11
11 “You always have the
poor with you, but you do
not always have Me.”
That does not excuse us
for failing to help wisely
and generously whenever
we can (6:2).
“So whenever you give to
the poor …”
              Matthew 6:2a
Jesus warned against
using giving as a means of
gaining people’s
admiration as some do.
He called them
hypocrites, pretenders,
actors playing a role for
the acclaim of an audience
(v. 2).
The reference to sound a
trumpet before you is
almost certainly a figure
of speech similar to our
“blow your own horn.”
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Some give in ways
calculated to win
admiration and
recognition from people.
Jesus said that would be
their reward, a word
meaning “paid in full”.
That is what they wanted,
and that was all they’d
get.
“Don’t let your left hand
know what your right
hand is doing”.
*The first filling I ever did.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Those words depict
graphically Jesus’ point:
Giving that honors and
pleases the Father is secret
rather than showy (v. 4).
People don’t see secret
acts, but the Father does.
He rewards giving done
from motives that glorify
Him.
What kind of rewards
does God hand out?
Remember, the Father’s
rewards are given by
grace, not by obligation.
Jesus taught that giving to
the needy provides for us
“an inexhaustible
treasure,” but He
qualified that by adding
“in Heaven”.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Rewards of heavenly
treasures are spiritual in
nature.
We do receive rewards on
this side of Heaven.
Among them are a good
conscience, inner joy,
a clearer perspective on
material wealth, and a
closer walk with the Lord.
Although Jesus’
illustration is about
helping materially
impoverished people,
we should also recognize
our need for helping
spiritually impoverished
people as well.
We can do that through
giving tithes and through
our special offerings:
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Margaret Lackey Offering
   For State Missions
FBCJ goal:     $50,000.00
Given to date: $26,256.00
These funds go to:
Christian
Women’s/Men’s Job
Margaret Lackey Funds:
College Outreach/B.J.Frew
Criminal Justice Ministry
New Church Starts
Central Hills Campground
Community Missions
Camp Garaywa
Margaret Lackey Funds:

Port Ministries
Cross Cultural Evangelism
Disaster Relief
Language/Deaf Ministries
Mission Volunteers
Lottie Moon
(international),
Annie Armstrong
(national),
Margaret Lackey (state),
Mission First Inc. (local),&
this Sunday School class.
These offerings meet both
physical and spiritual
needs.

May God help us to give
generously from motives
that please Him.
RIGHT MOTIVES
When You Give
 Matt. 6:1-4
When You Pray
 Matt. 6:5-13
When You Fast
 Matt. 6:16-18
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
When You Pray
Matthew 6:5-13
5“Whenever you pray,
you must not be like the
hypocrites, because they
love to pray standing in
the synagogues and on
the street corners to be
seen by people. I assure
you: They’ve got their
reward!
6 But when you pray, go
into your private room,
shut your door, and pray
to your Father Who is in
secret. And your Father
Who sees in secret will
reward you.
7 When you pray, don’t
babble like the idolaters,
since they imagine they’ll
be heard for their many
words.
8 Don’t be like them,
because your Father
knows the things you
need before you ask Him.
9 Therefore, you should
pray like this:
Our Father in Heaven,
Your name be honored as
holy.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in
Heaven.
11 Give us today our
daily bread.
12 And forgive us our
debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us
into temptation,
but deliver us from the
evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory forever.”
The second example is
about whenever you pray
(v. 5), indicating Jesus
indeed expects us to pray.
He did not prescribe
pharisaical legalistic rules
about when or how often
that should be.
His personal example,
however, presents good
guidelines for us.
He often prayed early at
the beginning of the day.
At times, He prayed all
night, especially before
major decisions or
significant events.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Jesus cited three kinds of
prayer to avoid.

First, don’t pray as those
who loved to be seen
praying in synagogues
and on street corners(v. 5).
When Jesus was here the
first time, the religious
authorities believed it was
necessary to pray at
specific times of the day,
and would often make
sure they were in large
crowds of people when
those times arose so that
they could be seen and
heard by all.
Jesus did not approve of
this.
In Luke 18, we have the
story of the Pharisee and
the tax collector.
Both men prayed out loud
and in public: the tax
collector prayed earnestly
to God and was justified;
the Pharisee prayed to
himself and was not.
Scripture does not tell us
to not pray in public.

The Bible does tell us to
not pray in such a way as
to try to exalt ourselves.
There are also many
examples in the Bible of
group prayer or praying
in front of others:
Solomon prayed publicly
in dedicating the temple
(1 Kings 8:22-61).
Daniel prayed alone in his
room, but by an open
window where he could
be seen (Daniel 6:10-11).
The Church prayed for
Peter's miraculous release
from prison (Acts 12:5).
Jesus prayed in public
“because of the crowd
standing here” so they
might believe that God
sent Him. (John 11:42)
John 11:41-44

41 “So they removed the
stone. Then Jesus raised
His eyes and said,“Father,
I thank You that You
heard Me. 
42 I know that You always
hear Me, but because of
the crowd standing here I
said this, so they may
believe You sent Me.” 
43 After He said this, He
shouted with a loud
voice, “Lazarus, come
out!” 
44 The dead man came
out bound hand and foot
with linen strips and with
his face wrapped in a
cloth. Jesus said to them, 
“Loose him and let him
go.”       John 11:41-44
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Matthew 6:5 warns of
praying FOR public
attention not for praying
IN public.
Hypocrites are really
praying for personal
attention from others.
They have their reward
when they get their public
attention.
Apparently, during
synagogue worship,
people considered it an
honor to be asked to come
to the front and lead the
congregation in prayer.
Evidently some observed
the times of the morning
and evening prayers
wherever they happened
to be.
Nothing is wrong with
lifting praying hands in
the midst of other
worshipers or on street
corners, and loving to
pray is certainly
commendable.
Jesus was cautioning
against praying in public
with the motive of
receiving admiring
glances and pats on the
back for being so devout.
At least a few observers
saw through such
hypocrisy then as they do
now.

The Lord certainly did.
A second mistake when
praying is to babble like
the idolaters (v. 7).
Jesus warned against a
high word-to-substance
ratio in prayer:
Pagan prayers at the time
believed that there was
power in continuous
repetition of words, that if
you said a word often
enough, then you could
eventually own that object
or claim that power for
yourself.

Jesus condemned this.
Word Study:
Babble (Matt. 6:7)
The word translated
babble appears only here
in the Bible.
Because of the word’s
sound, the basic meaning
has been suggested as “to
stammer,” that is, to
repeat words.

A derived meaning came
to imply going on and on
without thinking.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Various translations are:
“use vain or meaningless
repetitions,”
“heap up empty phrases,”
“saying things that mean
nothing” and the like.
Prayer that is “babble” is
prayer in form only; it has
no substance.
Jesus said idolaters
prayed that way (for
example the priests of
Baal on Mount Carmel).
Layering on words
doesn’t impress God, nor
do prayers offered with
the mind in neutral and
the heart focused
elsewhere.
 
“In prayer it is better to
have a heart without
words than words
without a heart.”

             John Bunyan
Jesus was not forbidding
prayer for the same thing
over and over.
Matthew 26:39

“My Father! If it is
possible, let this cup pass
from Me. Yet not as I will,
but as You will.”
Jesus prayed that same
prayer three times in a
row.

He even told parables
about persistence in
prayer (Matt. 7:7-11).
Nevertheless, we are not
to stretch out our prayers
as long as possible,
erroneously thinking
many words ensure God’s
positive response (6:7).
Jesus stressed that the
Father listens to earnest
hearts, not endless words,
especially when the
words are mechanical.
Who among us hasn’t
offered “good” public
prayers at church or at the
table with a disengaged
heart?
Haven’t we also found
our minds wandering as
we prayed privately or as
another prayed aloud?
The Lord hears heartfelt
prayers but ignores
ego-centered and empty-
headed performances.
Third, we need not feel
compelled to inform God
of endless details about
our needs.
Jesus reminded us the
Father knows the things
you need before you ask
Him (v. 8).

That’s a comforting
thought, for we frequently
have an incomplete and
distorted picture of what
we truly need.
This is not to discourage
us from making specific
requests in prayer, for He
invites us to do that.
It does assure us that He
will answer in ways that
best meet our needs,
further His kingdom, and
   enhance our usefulness.
Three kinds of prayer that
   Jesus warned us to avoid:
•
   praying to be seen
•
   babbling on and on
•
   informing God of detail
Jesus instructed us to find
a private place for prayer
where thoughts of
people’s responses won’t
distract us.
Thus in secret we can
focus on the Father (v. 6).
The greatest reward for
praying may be simply
having a personal
conversation with God;
He Whom we cannot see
sees us and hears us as
well (v. 6).
Jesus even provided a
model prayer to show us
how to pray.

We can pray it as is or use
it as a guide for our
prayers.
It begins with a focus on
God and His purposes
before moving to our
personal requests.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
We don’t pray to the
Great Someone in the
Great Somewhere, but to
our Father in Heaven (v9).

Our view of God
determines how we pray.
Human fathers are not
always the loving and
wise providers, teachers,
and examples their
children need;
but most of them want to
be and try to be.
God is the ideal Father—
all-loving, all-knowing,
all-wise, all-powerful, and
always present with us.
At the same time, He is in
Heaven, which tells us He
is greater than we can
comprehend;
so we approach Him as
our Father with due
reverence.
The pronoun our reminds
us that a personal
relationship with the
Father brings us into
relationship with all who
are in the family of faith.
Nowhere in the model
prayer do we find the
singular pronouns me,
my, or I.
Love for God and concern
for others are bundled
together for those who by
faith know God as Father.
The first request is that
the Father’s name be
honored as holy (v. 9).
One’s name in Biblical
thought stood for the
person.
The Father’s covenant
name is Yahweh (Ex.
3:14). This petition is that
God will help all people
everywhere to recognize
the Lord God Almighty as
He revealed Himself in
Jesus Christ and honor
Him accordingly.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Your kingdom come
could be translated:
“Your reign come.”
The kingdom has come in
the hearts of all who have
submitted to Jesus as
Lord.
It also is coming as more
people yield their hearts to
His reign. The kingdom
will not have come fully,
though, until Jesus returns
and establishes it
absolutely and forever.
This petition asks the
Father to bring people
under His reign.
We want His rule and His
reign to take place in our
hearts as readily as it
takes place in Heaven.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
To pray for the Father to
see that His will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven
frightens some.
They fail to distinguish
between what God desires
and what He permits.
He desires all to be saved,
but He permits many to
turn from Him.
9“God is not wanting
any to perish but all to
come to repentance.”
                2 Peter 3:9
He desires all of us to
keep His commands, but
He permits our
disobedience and the
destruction it causes.
We live, therefore, in a
world cursed by sin.
Even so, the Father
weaves even sin’s
consequences into a
pattern that ultimately
will achieve His good will
(Rom. 8:28).
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Presently, Heaven is the
only place free of sin and
its painful effects.

The more God’s will is
done on earth, the better
off everyone will be.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
The prayer’s focus shifts
from God’s eternal
purposes to our temporal
needs.
We are to request what we
need to sustain life, such as
daily bread (Matt 6:11).
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
Daily may be understood
as “for today” or “for
tomorrow,” in either case
pointing to immediate
need.
This prayer reminds us
that our Father ultimately
is our Provider (provision)
       pro = before
       vision = to see
As a wise Father, God
provides what we need,
not necessarily what we
want.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
We also are to ask for
forgiveness.
Debts are sins viewed as
obligations to the Father
(v. 12).
We dare not take lightly
the rest of the verse:
as we also have forgiven
our debtors.
At least two Biblical
teachings about salvation
seem in conflict with the
words forgive us … as we
also have forgiven:
(1) Salvation is by grace
through faith in Christ,
not by works (Eph. 2:8-
10). That rules out earning
forgiveness by forgiving.
(2) Faith in Christ brings
forgiveness and eternal
security.
John 10:28-29
28 “I give them eternal
life, and they will never
perish—ever! No one will
snatch them out of My
hand.
29 My Father, Who has
given them to Me, is
greater than all. No one is
able to snatch them out of
the Father’s hand.”

             John 10:28-29
*Noah fell down in the
ark but he could never fall
out of the ark.
*If He is strong enough to
save you, He is strong
enough to keep you
saved.
So what did Jesus mean
when He said: forgive us
… as we also have
forgiven?

Perhaps He meant one of
two possibilities:
(1) Believers who refuse to
    forgive will still be
    saved but penalized by
    losing their rewards
(1 Cor. 3:10-15).
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
12 “If anyone builds on
that foundation with gold,
silver, costly stones,
wood, hay, or straw,
13 each one’s work will
become obvious, for the
day will disclose it,
because it will be revealed
by fire; the fire will test
the quality of each one’s
work. 14 If anyone’s work
that he has built survives,
he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is
burned up, it will be lost,
but he will be saved; yet it
will be like an escape
through fire.”
     1 Corinthians 3:12-15
(2) Those who disobey the
Lord by refusing to
forgive have not truly
experienced God’s
forgiveness (Matt. 7:21).

Prodigal pigs.
The faith that fizzles at the
finish had a flaw from the
first.
When we’ve been
dreadfully harmed by
someone, forgiving can be
difficult and seem almost
impossible.
Perhaps that’s the reason
Jesus included forgiveness
in His model prayer.

*We cannot forgive
without divine help.
*Jesus made plain that
forgiving each other was
of paramount importance.
We should trust Him to
enable us to forgive others
as we rejoice that He has
forgiven us.
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
The final petition has
puzzled many believers—
Do not bring us into
temptation, but deliver us
from the evil one (v. 13).
(“Evil one” also can be
translated “evil”; the
essential meaning is the
same.)
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
We know God is good
and does not tempt us to
sin (Jas. 1:13), so how are
we to understand this?
A lot has been written
about this. The overall
meaning is obvious:
the prayer is for the
Father to keep us on the
straight and narrow, that
is, to keep us doing His
will rather than being led
astray by Satan.
A good approach to
understanding Jesus’
words is simply to ask
what the Father’s answer
to this request would be.
Would it not be that the
Father would lead us
away from temptation,
thereby delivering us
from the evil one?
Follow Him!
09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives
For Yours is the kingdom
could tie it to the entire
prayer or the preceding
petition for the Lord to
deliver us from evil.
We can trust Him to lead
us into paths of
righteousness because His
is the kingdom and the
power and the glory
forever. Amen.
Can we admit being a
hypocrite in some ways is
breathtakingly easy?
We should accept Jesus’
challenge to spiritual
integrity.
For the Father’s sake, let’s
cheerfully give to help
others materially and
spiritually with no
thought of recognition.
Let’s pray with honest,
open, and sincere hearts
for people to be saved and
to grow in Christ without
calling attention to
ourselves.
Let’s consider our
spiritual struggles or
assignments that may be
signposts directing us to
fast and pray, and let’s
keep that private.
Let’s seek to please God
by doing the right things
in the right way with the
right motives.
Biblical Truths of This
    Lesson in Focus
• Guard against being
hypocritical in spiritual
matters by making sure
your motives are pleasing
to God.
• Our motive for giving to
the needy and to support
Christian ministries is
always to honor God,
never to gain recognition.
• Our praying, both in
public and in private, is to
be an honest, heartfelt
address to the Father, not
a performance.
• Our prayers should first
reflect kingdom concerns
and then personal needs.

• Our prayers are futile if
we harbor an unforgiving
spirit.
• Our fasting should be
done as a private act of
devotion to God, not to
impress fellow believers.

We have an audience of
One!
This lesson looks at some
of Jesus’ words on giving,
praying, and fasting.
In which of these areas, or
other areas, do you need
to work on doing the right
things in the right way for
the right reasons?
RIGHT MOTIVES
When You Give
 Matt. 6:1-4
When You Pray
 Matt. 6:5-13
When You Fast
 Matt. 6:16-18
When You Fast
Matthew 6:16-18
16“Whenever you fast,
don’t be sad-faced like
the hypocrites. For they
make their faces
unattractive so their
fasting is obvious to
people. I assure you:
They’ve got their reward!
17 But when you fast, put
oil on your head, and
wash your face,
18 so that you don’t show
your fasting to people
but to your Father Who is
in secret. And your
Father Who sees in secret
will reward you.”
          Matthew 6:16-18
Whenever you fast (v. 16)
At its core, fasting is a
spiritual discipline of
depriving ourselves of
food as an expression of
devotion to God, our
desire for Him being
greater than our desire for
food.
(Some suggest the intent
of fasting could include
temporarily depriving
ourselves of television, the
internet, or a hobby.)
Scriptures neither
commands fasting for
believers nor offers
instructions for fasting
and its duration.
(Indeed, health
constraints prohibit or
limit some people from
food fasts and those same
things should also limit
them from fast foods.)
A fast could be omitting
certain kinds of food, all
foods, or perhaps
something else; and
durations mentioned in
the Bible vary from one
day (sunrise to sunset) to
forty days.
All that is well and good,
but didn’t most of us
grow up with church
traditions tilted more
toward covered-dish
suppers than fasting?
The best way to
encourage attendance for
anything at church is to
announce “refreshments
will be served.”
Churches are famous for
eating-meetings.
Eatin’ and fightin’, the
two things Southern
Baptists do the most.
Many of our churches
have a Wednesday
evening meal associated
with the mid-week prayer
meeting.
What do you think would
happen if members
showed up on
Wednesday to discover a
fasting-and-prayer
meeting was replacing the
eatin’-meetin’?
Jesus’ assumption that His
disciples would practice
fasting ought to inspire us
to take another look.

The Bible has numerous
references to fasting.
It is associated with fervent
prayers of confession and
intercession (Daniel 9:3).
Jehoshaphat proclaimed a
fast when Judah faced a
national threat
(2 Chronicles 20).
Jesus fasted 40 days in
preparation for His
testing before beginning
His public ministry (Matt.
4:2). The congregation at
Antioch was at worship
and fasting when the Lord
led them to set apart
Barnabas and Saul for
missions (Acts 13:2).
Paul and Barnabas
appointed elders for new
churches and committed
them to the Lord with
prayer and fasting (14:23).
Most Americans could
afford to fast from food
for health reasons. Is there
something in your life
from which you need to
fast for spiritual reasons?
If so, identify it here.
Jesus, of course, alerted
believers against the use
of fasting to show off by
dramatizing their
deprivation, that is, being
sad-faced in public (v. 16).
Jesus wants those who
fast to be well groomed.
Personal fasting is to be a
secret act of devotion to
the Father, and He
promises to reward us
when we fast with that
intent (v. 18).
NEXT WEEK:

Matthew 7:1-12

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09 September 16, 2012 Matthew 6;1 18 Right Motives

  • 1. RIGHT MOTIVES MATTHEW 6:1-18 SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI USA
  • 2. ©2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Reproduction is prohibited without the express written consent of LifeWay Christian Resources SBC.
  • 3. RIGHT MOTIVES When You Give Matt. 6:1-4 When You Pray Matt. 6:5-13 When You Fast Matt. 6:16-18
  • 5. What This Lesson Is About: MOTIVES As followers of Jesus, why we seek to obey God is as important as what we do.
  • 6. The truths taught in this lesson can help us: *do the right things *in the right way *for the right reasons.
  • 7. When we Christians are living out our faith, we need to keep close tabs on our motivations. We should ask ourselves these tough questions:
  • 8. *Are we seeking to please God or ourselves? *Is our aim more to advance God’s kingdom or to build a reputation? *Is our service Christ- centered or self-centered?
  • 9. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 can guide us to do the right things for the right reasons.
  • 10. When You Give Matthew 6:1-4 HCSB 1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you
  • 11. will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the
  • 12. streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
  • 13. 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father Who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4 HCSB
  • 14. Jesus knew all of us are naturally self-centered, so He cautioned: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them” (v. 1).
  • 15. Jesus earlier had said we are to do our good works “before men, so that they may see” them and glorify the Father (5:16).
  • 16. So in Matthew 6:1, was He saying the opposite? The greatest difference between the two verses lies in motivation. In 5:16, the motive is to glorify the Father, not to
  • 17. be seen. In 6:1, the motive is to be seen, not to glorify the Father. The word translated “to be seen” in 6:1 has the same root from which we
  • 18. get the English word theater.
  • 19. If we make our acts of righteousness a theatrical performance in which we have the leading role, we need expect no applause from the Father.
  • 20. He has no reward for that kind of service.
  • 21. Last week in Matthew chapter 5 we saw where Jesus used six examples of righteousness that surpassed that of scribes and Pharisees. Those examples had to do with relating to people:
  • 22. Practice mercy rather than murder, faithfulness to spouses in thought and deed, marriage building rather than marriage breaking, be known for truthfulness rather than deception, forgiveness rather
  • 23. than retaliation, and love rather than hate. Here in 6:1-18 He used three examples to illustrate righteousness in religious devotion that surpassed that of scribes and Pharisees.
  • 24. The first is giving, which does relate to people. Giving also, along with praying and fasting, was considered to be an act of spiritual devotion to God.
  • 25. Jesus obviously assumed His followers would be gracious givers, for He said, “whenever you give to the poor,” not “if you give”.
  • 27. Today, because taxes finance numerous social services for lower income people, some believers excuse themselves from personal charitable giving.
  • 28. An excuse is the skin of a reason. Highway patrolman and excuses…
  • 31. Others avoid giving by wrongly stereotyping all poor people as unwilling to work, wanting something for nothing, or victims of their own bad choices—addicted
  • 32. poor stewards, being sexually immoral, or committing crimes. When in reality, some were downsized, laid off, crushed by medical expenses, deserted or
  • 33. abused by spouses, scammed of resources, or are emotionally or physically disabled. In either case, children often are materially and emotionally deprived.
  • 38. Granted, poverty seems to be a puzzle society can’t solve (26:11). Matthew 26:11 11 “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
  • 39. That does not excuse us for failing to help wisely and generously whenever we can (6:2). “So whenever you give to the poor …” Matthew 6:2a
  • 40. Jesus warned against using giving as a means of gaining people’s admiration as some do. He called them hypocrites, pretenders, actors playing a role for
  • 41. the acclaim of an audience (v. 2).
  • 42. The reference to sound a trumpet before you is almost certainly a figure of speech similar to our “blow your own horn.”
  • 44. Some give in ways calculated to win admiration and recognition from people. Jesus said that would be their reward, a word meaning “paid in full”.
  • 45. That is what they wanted, and that was all they’d get. “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”. *The first filling I ever did.
  • 50. Those words depict graphically Jesus’ point: Giving that honors and pleases the Father is secret rather than showy (v. 4). People don’t see secret acts, but the Father does.
  • 51. He rewards giving done from motives that glorify Him. What kind of rewards does God hand out? Remember, the Father’s rewards are given by
  • 52. grace, not by obligation. Jesus taught that giving to the needy provides for us “an inexhaustible treasure,” but He qualified that by adding “in Heaven”.
  • 55. Rewards of heavenly treasures are spiritual in nature. We do receive rewards on this side of Heaven. Among them are a good conscience, inner joy,
  • 56. a clearer perspective on material wealth, and a closer walk with the Lord. Although Jesus’ illustration is about helping materially impoverished people,
  • 57. we should also recognize our need for helping spiritually impoverished people as well. We can do that through giving tithes and through our special offerings:
  • 64. Margaret Lackey Offering For State Missions FBCJ goal: $50,000.00 Given to date: $26,256.00 These funds go to: Christian Women’s/Men’s Job
  • 65. Margaret Lackey Funds: College Outreach/B.J.Frew Criminal Justice Ministry New Church Starts Central Hills Campground Community Missions Camp Garaywa
  • 66. Margaret Lackey Funds: Port Ministries Cross Cultural Evangelism Disaster Relief Language/Deaf Ministries Mission Volunteers
  • 67. Lottie Moon (international), Annie Armstrong (national), Margaret Lackey (state), Mission First Inc. (local),& this Sunday School class.
  • 68. These offerings meet both physical and spiritual needs. May God help us to give generously from motives that please Him.
  • 69. RIGHT MOTIVES When You Give Matt. 6:1-4 When You Pray Matt. 6:5-13 When You Fast Matt. 6:16-18
  • 71. When You Pray Matthew 6:5-13 5“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on
  • 72. the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray
  • 73. to your Father Who is in secret. And your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll
  • 74. be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.
  • 75. 9 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in Heaven, Your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done
  • 76. on earth as it is in Heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
  • 77. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”
  • 78. The second example is about whenever you pray (v. 5), indicating Jesus indeed expects us to pray. He did not prescribe pharisaical legalistic rules about when or how often
  • 79. that should be. His personal example, however, presents good guidelines for us. He often prayed early at the beginning of the day. At times, He prayed all
  • 80. night, especially before major decisions or significant events.
  • 83. Jesus cited three kinds of prayer to avoid. First, don’t pray as those who loved to be seen praying in synagogues and on street corners(v. 5).
  • 84. When Jesus was here the first time, the religious authorities believed it was necessary to pray at specific times of the day, and would often make sure they were in large
  • 85. crowds of people when those times arose so that they could be seen and heard by all. Jesus did not approve of this.
  • 86. In Luke 18, we have the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Both men prayed out loud and in public: the tax collector prayed earnestly to God and was justified;
  • 87. the Pharisee prayed to himself and was not.
  • 88. Scripture does not tell us to not pray in public. The Bible does tell us to not pray in such a way as to try to exalt ourselves.
  • 89. There are also many examples in the Bible of group prayer or praying in front of others: Solomon prayed publicly in dedicating the temple (1 Kings 8:22-61).
  • 90. Daniel prayed alone in his room, but by an open window where he could be seen (Daniel 6:10-11). The Church prayed for Peter's miraculous release from prison (Acts 12:5).
  • 91. Jesus prayed in public “because of the crowd standing here” so they might believe that God sent Him. (John 11:42)
  • 92. John 11:41-44 41 “So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and said,“Father, I thank You that You heard Me. 
  • 93. 42 I know that You always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me.”  43 After He said this, He shouted with a loud
  • 94. voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  44 The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, 
  • 95. “Loose him and let him go.” John 11:41-44
  • 97. Matthew 6:5 warns of praying FOR public attention not for praying IN public. Hypocrites are really praying for personal attention from others.
  • 98. They have their reward when they get their public attention.
  • 99. Apparently, during synagogue worship, people considered it an honor to be asked to come to the front and lead the congregation in prayer.
  • 100. Evidently some observed the times of the morning and evening prayers wherever they happened to be.
  • 101. Nothing is wrong with lifting praying hands in the midst of other worshipers or on street corners, and loving to pray is certainly commendable.
  • 102. Jesus was cautioning against praying in public with the motive of receiving admiring glances and pats on the back for being so devout.
  • 103. At least a few observers saw through such hypocrisy then as they do now. The Lord certainly did.
  • 104. A second mistake when praying is to babble like the idolaters (v. 7).
  • 105. Jesus warned against a high word-to-substance ratio in prayer: Pagan prayers at the time believed that there was power in continuous repetition of words, that if
  • 106. you said a word often enough, then you could eventually own that object or claim that power for yourself. Jesus condemned this.
  • 107. Word Study: Babble (Matt. 6:7) The word translated babble appears only here in the Bible. Because of the word’s sound, the basic meaning
  • 108. has been suggested as “to stammer,” that is, to repeat words. A derived meaning came to imply going on and on without thinking.
  • 110. Various translations are: “use vain or meaningless repetitions,” “heap up empty phrases,” “saying things that mean nothing” and the like.
  • 111. Prayer that is “babble” is prayer in form only; it has no substance. Jesus said idolaters prayed that way (for example the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel).
  • 112. Layering on words doesn’t impress God, nor do prayers offered with the mind in neutral and the heart focused elsewhere.  
  • 113. “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” John Bunyan
  • 114. Jesus was not forbidding prayer for the same thing over and over.
  • 115. Matthew 26:39 “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
  • 116. Jesus prayed that same prayer three times in a row. He even told parables about persistence in prayer (Matt. 7:7-11).
  • 117. Nevertheless, we are not to stretch out our prayers as long as possible, erroneously thinking many words ensure God’s positive response (6:7).
  • 118. Jesus stressed that the Father listens to earnest hearts, not endless words, especially when the words are mechanical. Who among us hasn’t offered “good” public
  • 119. prayers at church or at the table with a disengaged heart? Haven’t we also found our minds wandering as we prayed privately or as another prayed aloud?
  • 120. The Lord hears heartfelt prayers but ignores ego-centered and empty- headed performances.
  • 121. Third, we need not feel compelled to inform God of endless details about our needs. Jesus reminded us the Father knows the things you need before you ask
  • 122. Him (v. 8). That’s a comforting thought, for we frequently have an incomplete and distorted picture of what we truly need.
  • 123. This is not to discourage us from making specific requests in prayer, for He invites us to do that. It does assure us that He will answer in ways that best meet our needs,
  • 124. further His kingdom, and enhance our usefulness. Three kinds of prayer that Jesus warned us to avoid: • praying to be seen • babbling on and on • informing God of detail
  • 125. Jesus instructed us to find a private place for prayer where thoughts of people’s responses won’t distract us. Thus in secret we can focus on the Father (v. 6).
  • 126. The greatest reward for praying may be simply having a personal conversation with God; He Whom we cannot see sees us and hears us as well (v. 6).
  • 127. Jesus even provided a model prayer to show us how to pray. We can pray it as is or use it as a guide for our prayers.
  • 128. It begins with a focus on God and His purposes before moving to our personal requests.
  • 130. We don’t pray to the Great Someone in the Great Somewhere, but to our Father in Heaven (v9). Our view of God determines how we pray.
  • 131. Human fathers are not always the loving and wise providers, teachers, and examples their children need; but most of them want to be and try to be.
  • 132. God is the ideal Father— all-loving, all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and always present with us. At the same time, He is in Heaven, which tells us He is greater than we can
  • 133. comprehend; so we approach Him as our Father with due reverence. The pronoun our reminds us that a personal relationship with the
  • 134. Father brings us into relationship with all who are in the family of faith. Nowhere in the model prayer do we find the singular pronouns me, my, or I.
  • 135. Love for God and concern for others are bundled together for those who by faith know God as Father. The first request is that the Father’s name be honored as holy (v. 9).
  • 136. One’s name in Biblical thought stood for the person. The Father’s covenant name is Yahweh (Ex. 3:14). This petition is that God will help all people
  • 137. everywhere to recognize the Lord God Almighty as He revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and honor Him accordingly.
  • 139. Your kingdom come could be translated: “Your reign come.” The kingdom has come in the hearts of all who have submitted to Jesus as Lord.
  • 140. It also is coming as more people yield their hearts to His reign. The kingdom will not have come fully, though, until Jesus returns and establishes it absolutely and forever.
  • 141. This petition asks the Father to bring people under His reign. We want His rule and His reign to take place in our hearts as readily as it takes place in Heaven.
  • 143. To pray for the Father to see that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven frightens some. They fail to distinguish between what God desires and what He permits.
  • 144. He desires all to be saved, but He permits many to turn from Him. 9“God is not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
  • 145. He desires all of us to keep His commands, but He permits our disobedience and the destruction it causes. We live, therefore, in a world cursed by sin.
  • 146. Even so, the Father weaves even sin’s consequences into a pattern that ultimately will achieve His good will (Rom. 8:28).
  • 148. Presently, Heaven is the only place free of sin and its painful effects. The more God’s will is done on earth, the better off everyone will be.
  • 150. The prayer’s focus shifts from God’s eternal purposes to our temporal needs. We are to request what we need to sustain life, such as daily bread (Matt 6:11).
  • 153. Daily may be understood as “for today” or “for tomorrow,” in either case pointing to immediate need. This prayer reminds us that our Father ultimately
  • 154. is our Provider (provision) pro = before vision = to see As a wise Father, God provides what we need, not necessarily what we want.
  • 156. We also are to ask for forgiveness. Debts are sins viewed as obligations to the Father (v. 12). We dare not take lightly the rest of the verse:
  • 157. as we also have forgiven our debtors. At least two Biblical teachings about salvation seem in conflict with the words forgive us … as we also have forgiven:
  • 158. (1) Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not by works (Eph. 2:8- 10). That rules out earning forgiveness by forgiving. (2) Faith in Christ brings forgiveness and eternal
  • 159. security. John 10:28-29 28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.
  • 160. 29 My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29
  • 161. *Noah fell down in the ark but he could never fall out of the ark. *If He is strong enough to save you, He is strong enough to keep you saved.
  • 162. So what did Jesus mean when He said: forgive us … as we also have forgiven? Perhaps He meant one of two possibilities:
  • 163. (1) Believers who refuse to forgive will still be saved but penalized by losing their rewards (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
  • 164. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 12 “If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the
  • 165. day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
  • 166. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
  • 167. (2) Those who disobey the Lord by refusing to forgive have not truly experienced God’s forgiveness (Matt. 7:21). Prodigal pigs.
  • 168. The faith that fizzles at the finish had a flaw from the first.
  • 169. When we’ve been dreadfully harmed by someone, forgiving can be difficult and seem almost impossible. Perhaps that’s the reason Jesus included forgiveness
  • 170. in His model prayer. *We cannot forgive without divine help. *Jesus made plain that forgiving each other was of paramount importance.
  • 171. We should trust Him to enable us to forgive others as we rejoice that He has forgiven us.
  • 173. The final petition has puzzled many believers—
  • 174. Do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (v. 13). (“Evil one” also can be translated “evil”; the essential meaning is the same.)
  • 176. We know God is good and does not tempt us to sin (Jas. 1:13), so how are we to understand this? A lot has been written about this. The overall meaning is obvious:
  • 177. the prayer is for the Father to keep us on the straight and narrow, that is, to keep us doing His will rather than being led astray by Satan.
  • 178. A good approach to understanding Jesus’ words is simply to ask what the Father’s answer to this request would be. Would it not be that the Father would lead us
  • 179. away from temptation, thereby delivering us from the evil one? Follow Him!
  • 181. For Yours is the kingdom could tie it to the entire prayer or the preceding petition for the Lord to deliver us from evil.
  • 182. We can trust Him to lead us into paths of righteousness because His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  • 183. Can we admit being a hypocrite in some ways is breathtakingly easy? We should accept Jesus’ challenge to spiritual integrity.
  • 184. For the Father’s sake, let’s cheerfully give to help others materially and spiritually with no thought of recognition. Let’s pray with honest, open, and sincere hearts
  • 185. for people to be saved and to grow in Christ without calling attention to ourselves. Let’s consider our spiritual struggles or assignments that may be
  • 186. signposts directing us to fast and pray, and let’s keep that private. Let’s seek to please God by doing the right things in the right way with the right motives.
  • 187. Biblical Truths of This Lesson in Focus • Guard against being hypocritical in spiritual matters by making sure your motives are pleasing to God.
  • 188. • Our motive for giving to the needy and to support Christian ministries is always to honor God, never to gain recognition.
  • 189. • Our praying, both in public and in private, is to be an honest, heartfelt address to the Father, not a performance.
  • 190. • Our prayers should first reflect kingdom concerns and then personal needs. • Our prayers are futile if we harbor an unforgiving spirit.
  • 191. • Our fasting should be done as a private act of devotion to God, not to impress fellow believers. We have an audience of One!
  • 192. This lesson looks at some of Jesus’ words on giving, praying, and fasting. In which of these areas, or other areas, do you need to work on doing the right things in the right way for
  • 194. RIGHT MOTIVES When You Give Matt. 6:1-4 When You Pray Matt. 6:5-13 When You Fast Matt. 6:16-18
  • 195. When You Fast Matthew 6:16-18 16“Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their
  • 196. fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,
  • 197. 18 so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father Who is in secret. And your Father Who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18
  • 198. Whenever you fast (v. 16) At its core, fasting is a spiritual discipline of depriving ourselves of food as an expression of devotion to God, our desire for Him being
  • 199. greater than our desire for food. (Some suggest the intent of fasting could include temporarily depriving ourselves of television, the internet, or a hobby.)
  • 200. Scriptures neither commands fasting for believers nor offers instructions for fasting and its duration. (Indeed, health constraints prohibit or
  • 201. limit some people from food fasts and those same things should also limit them from fast foods.) A fast could be omitting certain kinds of food, all foods, or perhaps
  • 202. something else; and durations mentioned in the Bible vary from one day (sunrise to sunset) to forty days. All that is well and good, but didn’t most of us
  • 203. grow up with church traditions tilted more toward covered-dish suppers than fasting? The best way to encourage attendance for anything at church is to
  • 204. announce “refreshments will be served.” Churches are famous for eating-meetings. Eatin’ and fightin’, the two things Southern Baptists do the most.
  • 205. Many of our churches have a Wednesday evening meal associated with the mid-week prayer meeting. What do you think would happen if members
  • 206. showed up on Wednesday to discover a fasting-and-prayer meeting was replacing the eatin’-meetin’?
  • 207. Jesus’ assumption that His disciples would practice fasting ought to inspire us to take another look. The Bible has numerous references to fasting.
  • 208. It is associated with fervent prayers of confession and intercession (Daniel 9:3). Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast when Judah faced a national threat (2 Chronicles 20).
  • 209. Jesus fasted 40 days in preparation for His testing before beginning His public ministry (Matt. 4:2). The congregation at Antioch was at worship and fasting when the Lord
  • 210. led them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for missions (Acts 13:2). Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for new churches and committed them to the Lord with
  • 211. prayer and fasting (14:23). Most Americans could afford to fast from food for health reasons. Is there something in your life from which you need to fast for spiritual reasons?
  • 212. If so, identify it here.
  • 213. Jesus, of course, alerted believers against the use of fasting to show off by dramatizing their deprivation, that is, being sad-faced in public (v. 16).
  • 214. Jesus wants those who fast to be well groomed. Personal fasting is to be a secret act of devotion to the Father, and He promises to reward us when we fast with that
  • 216. NEXT WEEK: Matthew 7:1-12 RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS