Sermon: Practicing Your Righteousness Before God Matthew 6:1-4
Truth Taught- Do not practice your righteousness for the praise of men but for the glory of God.
Introduction
As we work our way through the Sermon on the Mount we discover another piece of the puzzle pointing to the superior righteousness that Jesus desires His followers to possess.
Matthew 5:20 (ESV)
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
I want to first remind everyone that the righteousness that far surpasses the Scribes and Pharisees is the imputed righteousness that Jesus has given all His followers. So, at salvation we are flooded with true God accepting righteousness of Jesus. Have you considered lately that when God the Father looks at you, as His people, He sees a born again forgiven sinner with as much righteousness as Jesus?
Romans 3:21–22 (ESV)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
So, God gives us His righteousness when we believe as a free gift and yet He also desires that we actually attain a level of righteousness as we mature in Christ. This is where Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount comes in to play.
Also remember that Jesus is preaching to His Disciples first with the larger crowd looking on as well. The righteousness He speaks about is only possible when one has the Holy Spirit as a Christian.
We went through the section where Jesus taught that God’s Word must be read, understood, interpreted and applied accurately if we are to live as God desires His people to live. Jesus taught that certain sin goes far deeper than just the act of committing a sin but even the acts and thoughts that lead up to it are sinful. Murder is sinful and so is the anger in the heart that leads to murder. Jesus wants His people to live a life of righteousness from the heart. True righteousness that exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees is one that is genuinely who we are and not what we do.
Matthew 5:27–28 (ESV)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Here it’s, of course the act of adultery that is sinful but one can sin by lusting after a woman as well. It’s adultery of the heart and murder of the heart that Jesus is concerned with. This heart righteousness Jesus teaches us about is the superior righteousness. So, we have been given Jesus’ righteousness at salvation and we are, through the power of the Holy Spirit actually becoming righteous and both exceed the Pharisee’s manmade false righteousness.
Today, we begin another section of our Lord’s sermon. In this section He teaches about doing your righteousness or righteous deeds that God wants us to do in the proper way and with the right motive, which again, comes from a right heart.
The big picture here is how we perform our good works. Jesus insists that they must be of higher quality than the Pharisees and done is the right way. So, Jesus has acts of righteousness in view and gives us three examples. The examples are how to give correctly, pray correctly, and fast correctly. To do these acts of righteousness hypocritically is to at best receive the praise of man but never the praise of God.
As God’s people we must realize that it’s not just an act of righteousness that’s in view but also the purpose in which those acts are done.
Today we will look at giving to the glory of God and not for your glory.
Prayer
Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV)
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not 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.
1. Do Not Practice Righteousness to Be Seen by Others
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus does not mean that no one can see you when you practice righteous deeds but simply put, don’t do them to be seen by others, in other words for the purpose of being seen by others. He gives us a warning that we are to beware of this motivation. So, we can do good things for the wrong reason.
Here, Jesus targets three acts of worship, namely, Giving, Praying and Fasting. The Pharisees had twisted true worship of God into a system whereby they would actually be the ones receiving praise not God. Oh, what a fallen sinful world we live in where we seek the praise that should only go to God. This goes beyond the scope of just sin to reach the pinnacle of satanic actions…
Satan wanted to be like God so that he would receive the praise do God alone. This was what he promised Adam and Eve when they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would be like God knowing good and evil.
The issue that’s very important for us to remember when we do good deeds is that God will not share His praise with fallen humans.
Isaiah 42:8 (ESV)
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
It has been my experience that one place where we must be careful with this dynamic of people desiring the praise that should go to God is in the area of singing, choirs, special music etc. I praise God for our worship team and their desire to take steps to guard against this but I’ve been a part of other churches where the worship leaders wanted the praise.
So, whether we are worshipping, doing good deeds, or in some other way serving God, we must do it in such a way as to have all the glory and praise go to God. We should take steps when possible to safeguard against the praise of man.
When we do a good deed with the right heart attitude and for the purpose of God being praised then Jesus tells us that God will reward us.
When we do something good and desire that others see us we are seeking an earthly reward, namely, the praise of man and we will not receive an eternal reward. The issue or one issue is that their acts of worship are intended to look like they’re done with God in mind when really they’re done with the praise of man in mind. They look Godward but are, in reality, manward.
He tells them they have the wrong approach to worship. He says the problem is your worship is an act. It’s hypocritical. Look at verse 1. Beware – “that you do not “your righteousness,” dikaiosunē, your deeds of righteousness, your righteous acts – “before men to be seen by them.” Stop right there. He says the problem with your religion is, it’s a show. And the word seen is theaomai from which we get theatrical. And then in verse 2, He calls them hypocrites and that’s hupokritēs. And you know what that means? An actor on a stage. You’re nothing but an actor on a stage doing what you do for the applause of the people who watch.
Let me say that again…the picture Jesus is painting for us is an actor on a stage performing for nothing but the applause of the audience. The clapping of people for them is the sound that fills their soul with exuberance. It makes them feel important and famous. The roar of the crowd gives them a rush of adrenaline like a drug has been dumped into their system and they desire more and more.
Jesus tells us that this applause of men is their reward and they will get nothing from God. That’s the religious life of a Pharisee. They look good and they love the attention as people praise them rather than God.
Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
Here’s a very good illustration of a religious hypocrite…
Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (ESV)
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Like the Pharisees, I know people today who are in various churches who love to look very religious so others will be impressed with their religion. When you take that away from them they become very angry. The reason is that their mode of Christianity is not Christianity at all but works righteousness. When you take certain things away from them they will turn on you in anger because their salvation depends on looking a certain way or playing a certain part, they are hypocrites just like Jesus says.
Jesus now looks at a specific way that many in His day tried to look impressive to others in their hypocritical worship of God.
2. Do Not Sound the Trumpet When You Give
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
The right assumption here is that God’s people give to help the needy.
This has been a God ordained practice from the beginning of time. We have many Old Testament passages that teach us to come to the aid of the needy.
Deuteronomy 15:7–8 (ESV)
7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Psalm 41:1–2 (ESV)
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
God is clear we are to help the poor and needy, especially those found among us. Here’s where discernment is very important. Who are the poor and needy?
The Bible is also clear in this regard. A needy person draws out our pity such as orphans, elderly widows, the handicapped, the sick or injured, or those who have undergone some calamity. Indiscriminant giving can and does do more harm than good. It encourages idleness. Healthy beggars should not be included in our giving. Those who could meet their own needs through work but choose not to work are not needy.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV)
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
Jesus tells us when we do give to help the needy, not to sound a trumpet. They had a little silver trumpet and he used to go in the streets and the synagogues, not the temple, because this was not the – the temple giving. But this was the – the giving to the needy at the synagogue and the – and the streets, as it indicates there, just in the course of life. And they would blow a little silver trumpet. And it was kind of like, all you poor, come one come all, your great benefactor has arrived. And all the poor would come at the blowing of the little trumpet and the guy would start handing out the money.
Our Lord pictures a pompous, self-righteous Pharisee on his way to put money into the hands of the poor. In front of him march the trumpeters blowing the fanfare to draw a crowd as he says come and get it, and passes out everything. And he does it all for appearance sake.
So, their reward is the praise they receive from the people saying how great they are and they receive no blessing from God. So, Jesus tells us to beware when we do our deeds of righteousness that we don’t fall into this trap of the praise of man.
3. Practice Your Righteousness in Secret Before God Alone
3 But when you give to the needy, do not 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.
Jesus tells His followers including us that when we give do so without blowing a trumpet and without seeking the praise of men but do it in a way that its so secret, that’s it’s just between your heart and God’s heart. So secret, in fact, that your left hand did know that your right hand released the money.
For us it’s important to give in the right way. They gave alms, temple tax, and usually a tenth of all they received. We must think about our giving so that we’re doing it the right way as well.
Let’s jump to some application points for us today in the Local Church because this is where, for the most part, our giving takes place.
How are we to give and what attitude are we to have when we give?
A. Our giving is a investment with God.
Luke 6:38 (ESV)
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (ESV)
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
B. Giving is to be sacrificial.
If there isn’t a sacrifice involved it’s questioned whether you’re even giving at all unless there’s some sacrifice. David said, “I will not give God that which costs me nothing.” I will not give God that which costs me nothing. That would say nothing to Him. You don’t say, “God here. I don’t need this.” That isn’t any great act of love. It’s when you give God that which you do feel you need that you’ve made a sacrifice. It’s when giving causes you to change your lifestyle.
2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (ESV)
8 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
C. Giving is not based on how much you have
Luke 16:10 (ESV)
10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
I’ve counseled folks who wanted to give more but felt they couldn’t. I learned many years ago that my giving isn’t based on how much or how little I have but on my love for God. It’s inevitable that when those people begin making more money they just spend that amount and still cannot give like they say they would like to. If you think God is wanting you to give and give abundantly…GIVE.
D. Giving demonstrates love not law.
You’re not under any law to give. There’s no New Testament law to give in a sense of an amount or a fixed sum. We’re not giving to please some legal system. It is an act of love that we give. That’s why it’s to be cheerful, not grudging and not of necessity. It’s not a law. It’s an act of love. Now listen. Those are simple principles. Invest with God, make it sacrificial. Remember it’s not a matter of how much you have. Another principle: God will give you the real riches when He sees how you handle money. It is to be personally determined. It is to be in response to need. It is demonstrate love, not law.
E. Our consistent giving is an exercise in faith
When we give every week God is getting us into a habit of releasing the things of the world and claiming by faith that we are not trusting in those things but trust in God. I release the world so that I can cling to Christ.
I might sum it up by saying all of these things tell us that our giving is to be generous, generous, and generous. And the generosity with which you give will be determined by all of these other factors. How much do you want to invest with God? How much are you willing to sacrifice for Him who sacrificed all for you? How much love are you trying to demonstrate. So the point is this, beloved, God is not saying give because I need your money. He’s saying give because it’s a spiritual exercise that brings into your life the true blessing of God.
So, as we wrap up what we must take away from this section is that Jesus wants us to be true followers not people up on a stage acting for the praise of man. When we give do it in such a way as to not receive the praise of men but the blessing of God. Give generously, sacrificially, consistently, faithfully, sincerely and expectantly from a heart that loves God…
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
*Resources Used:
Matthew by D A Carson in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary
A Theology of Matthew by Charles Quarles
A Gospel of Matthew by France
Matthew by Craig Bloomberg
Matthew by Doriani
Matthew by Charles Price
Matthew by Leon Morris
Blue Letter Bible
Matthew 6:1-4 by John MacArthur
Truth Taught- Do not practice your righteousness for the praise of men but for the glory of God.
Introduction
As we work our way through the Sermon on the Mount we discover another piece of the puzzle pointing to the superior righteousness that Jesus desires His followers to possess.
Matthew 5:20 (ESV)
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
I want to first remind everyone that the righteousness that far surpasses the Scribes and Pharisees is the imputed righteousness that Jesus has given all His followers. So, at salvation we are flooded with true God accepting righteousness of Jesus. Have you considered lately that when God the Father looks at you, as His people, He sees a born again forgiven sinner with as much righteousness as Jesus?
Romans 3:21–22 (ESV)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
So, God gives us His righteousness when we believe as a free gift and yet He also desires that we actually attain a level of righteousness as we mature in Christ. This is where Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount comes in to play.
Also remember that Jesus is preaching to His Disciples first with the larger crowd looking on as well. The righteousness He speaks about is only possible when one has the Holy Spirit as a Christian.
We went through the section where Jesus taught that God’s Word must be read, understood, interpreted and applied accurately if we are to live as God desires His people to live. Jesus taught that certain sin goes far deeper than just the act of committing a sin but even the acts and thoughts that lead up to it are sinful. Murder is sinful and so is the anger in the heart that leads to murder. Jesus wants His people to live a life of righteousness from the heart. True righteousness that exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees is one that is genuinely who we are and not what we do.
Matthew 5:27–28 (ESV)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Here it’s, of course the act of adultery that is sinful but one can sin by lusting after a woman as well. It’s adultery of the heart and murder of the heart that Jesus is concerned with. This heart righteousness Jesus teaches us about is the superior righteousness. So, we have been given Jesus’ righteousness at salvation and we are, through the power of the Holy Spirit actually becoming righteous and both exceed the Pharisee’s manmade false righteousness.
Today, we begin another section of our Lord’s sermon. In this section He teaches about doing your righteousness or righteous deeds that God wants us to do in the proper way and with the right motive, which again, comes from a right heart.
The big picture here is how we perform our good works. Jesus insists that they must be of higher quality than the Pharisees and done is the right way. So, Jesus has acts of righteousness in view and gives us three examples. The examples are how to give correctly, pray correctly, and fast correctly. To do these acts of righteousness hypocritically is to at best receive the praise of man but never the praise of God.
As God’s people we must realize that it’s not just an act of righteousness that’s in view but also the purpose in which those acts are done.
Today we will look at giving to the glory of God and not for your glory.
Prayer
Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV)
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not 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.
1. Do Not Practice Righteousness to Be Seen by Others
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus does not mean that no one can see you when you practice righteous deeds but simply put, don’t do them to be seen by others, in other words for the purpose of being seen by others. He gives us a warning that we are to beware of this motivation. So, we can do good things for the wrong reason.
Here, Jesus targets three acts of worship, namely, Giving, Praying and Fasting. The Pharisees had twisted true worship of God into a system whereby they would actually be the ones receiving praise not God. Oh, what a fallen sinful world we live in where we seek the praise that should only go to God. This goes beyond the scope of just sin to reach the pinnacle of satanic actions…
Satan wanted to be like God so that he would receive the praise do God alone. This was what he promised Adam and Eve when they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would be like God knowing good and evil.
The issue that’s very important for us to remember when we do good deeds is that God will not share His praise with fallen humans.
Isaiah 42:8 (ESV)
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
It has been my experience that one place where we must be careful with this dynamic of people desiring the praise that should go to God is in the area of singing, choirs, special music etc. I praise God for our worship team and their desire to take steps to guard against this but I’ve been a part of other churches where the worship leaders wanted the praise.
So, whether we are worshipping, doing good deeds, or in some other way serving God, we must do it in such a way as to have all the glory and praise go to God. We should take steps when possible to safeguard against the praise of man.
When we do a good deed with the right heart attitude and for the purpose of God being praised then Jesus tells us that God will reward us.
When we do something good and desire that others see us we are seeking an earthly reward, namely, the praise of man and we will not receive an eternal reward. The issue or one issue is that their acts of worship are intended to look like they’re done with God in mind when really they’re done with the praise of man in mind. They look Godward but are, in reality, manward.
He tells them they have the wrong approach to worship. He says the problem is your worship is an act. It’s hypocritical. Look at verse 1. Beware – “that you do not “your righteousness,” dikaiosunē, your deeds of righteousness, your righteous acts – “before men to be seen by them.” Stop right there. He says the problem with your religion is, it’s a show. And the word seen is theaomai from which we get theatrical. And then in verse 2, He calls them hypocrites and that’s hupokritēs. And you know what that means? An actor on a stage. You’re nothing but an actor on a stage doing what you do for the applause of the people who watch.
Let me say that again…the picture Jesus is painting for us is an actor on a stage performing for nothing but the applause of the audience. The clapping of people for them is the sound that fills their soul with exuberance. It makes them feel important and famous. The roar of the crowd gives them a rush of adrenaline like a drug has been dumped into their system and they desire more and more.
Jesus tells us that this applause of men is their reward and they will get nothing from God. That’s the religious life of a Pharisee. They look good and they love the attention as people praise them rather than God.
Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
Here’s a very good illustration of a religious hypocrite…
Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (ESV)
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Like the Pharisees, I know people today who are in various churches who love to look very religious so others will be impressed with their religion. When you take that away from them they become very angry. The reason is that their mode of Christianity is not Christianity at all but works righteousness. When you take certain things away from them they will turn on you in anger because their salvation depends on looking a certain way or playing a certain part, they are hypocrites just like Jesus says.
Jesus now looks at a specific way that many in His day tried to look impressive to others in their hypocritical worship of God.
2. Do Not Sound the Trumpet When You Give
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
The right assumption here is that God’s people give to help the needy.
This has been a God ordained practice from the beginning of time. We have many Old Testament passages that teach us to come to the aid of the needy.
Deuteronomy 15:7–8 (ESV)
7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Psalm 41:1–2 (ESV)
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
God is clear we are to help the poor and needy, especially those found among us. Here’s where discernment is very important. Who are the poor and needy?
The Bible is also clear in this regard. A needy person draws out our pity such as orphans, elderly widows, the handicapped, the sick or injured, or those who have undergone some calamity. Indiscriminant giving can and does do more harm than good. It encourages idleness. Healthy beggars should not be included in our giving. Those who could meet their own needs through work but choose not to work are not needy.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV)
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
Jesus tells us when we do give to help the needy, not to sound a trumpet. They had a little silver trumpet and he used to go in the streets and the synagogues, not the temple, because this was not the – the temple giving. But this was the – the giving to the needy at the synagogue and the – and the streets, as it indicates there, just in the course of life. And they would blow a little silver trumpet. And it was kind of like, all you poor, come one come all, your great benefactor has arrived. And all the poor would come at the blowing of the little trumpet and the guy would start handing out the money.
Our Lord pictures a pompous, self-righteous Pharisee on his way to put money into the hands of the poor. In front of him march the trumpeters blowing the fanfare to draw a crowd as he says come and get it, and passes out everything. And he does it all for appearance sake.
So, their reward is the praise they receive from the people saying how great they are and they receive no blessing from God. So, Jesus tells us to beware when we do our deeds of righteousness that we don’t fall into this trap of the praise of man.
3. Practice Your Righteousness in Secret Before God Alone
3 But when you give to the needy, do not 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.
Jesus tells His followers including us that when we give do so without blowing a trumpet and without seeking the praise of men but do it in a way that its so secret, that’s it’s just between your heart and God’s heart. So secret, in fact, that your left hand did know that your right hand released the money.
For us it’s important to give in the right way. They gave alms, temple tax, and usually a tenth of all they received. We must think about our giving so that we’re doing it the right way as well.
Let’s jump to some application points for us today in the Local Church because this is where, for the most part, our giving takes place.
How are we to give and what attitude are we to have when we give?
A. Our giving is a investment with God.
Luke 6:38 (ESV)
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (ESV)
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
B. Giving is to be sacrificial.
If there isn’t a sacrifice involved it’s questioned whether you’re even giving at all unless there’s some sacrifice. David said, “I will not give God that which costs me nothing.” I will not give God that which costs me nothing. That would say nothing to Him. You don’t say, “God here. I don’t need this.” That isn’t any great act of love. It’s when you give God that which you do feel you need that you’ve made a sacrifice. It’s when giving causes you to change your lifestyle.
2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (ESV)
8 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
C. Giving is not based on how much you have
Luke 16:10 (ESV)
10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
I’ve counseled folks who wanted to give more but felt they couldn’t. I learned many years ago that my giving isn’t based on how much or how little I have but on my love for God. It’s inevitable that when those people begin making more money they just spend that amount and still cannot give like they say they would like to. If you think God is wanting you to give and give abundantly…GIVE.
D. Giving demonstrates love not law.
You’re not under any law to give. There’s no New Testament law to give in a sense of an amount or a fixed sum. We’re not giving to please some legal system. It is an act of love that we give. That’s why it’s to be cheerful, not grudging and not of necessity. It’s not a law. It’s an act of love. Now listen. Those are simple principles. Invest with God, make it sacrificial. Remember it’s not a matter of how much you have. Another principle: God will give you the real riches when He sees how you handle money. It is to be personally determined. It is to be in response to need. It is demonstrate love, not law.
E. Our consistent giving is an exercise in faith
When we give every week God is getting us into a habit of releasing the things of the world and claiming by faith that we are not trusting in those things but trust in God. I release the world so that I can cling to Christ.
I might sum it up by saying all of these things tell us that our giving is to be generous, generous, and generous. And the generosity with which you give will be determined by all of these other factors. How much do you want to invest with God? How much are you willing to sacrifice for Him who sacrificed all for you? How much love are you trying to demonstrate. So the point is this, beloved, God is not saying give because I need your money. He’s saying give because it’s a spiritual exercise that brings into your life the true blessing of God.
So, as we wrap up what we must take away from this section is that Jesus wants us to be true followers not people up on a stage acting for the praise of man. When we give do it in such a way as to not receive the praise of men but the blessing of God. Give generously, sacrificially, consistently, faithfully, sincerely and expectantly from a heart that loves God…
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
*Resources Used:
Matthew by D A Carson in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary
A Theology of Matthew by Charles Quarles
A Gospel of Matthew by France
Matthew by Craig Bloomberg
Matthew by Doriani
Matthew by Charles Price
Matthew by Leon Morris
Blue Letter Bible
Matthew 6:1-4 by John MacArthur
