Kat lives far away in Mae Sot, Thailand. She has a blog. We love Kat. We want her to feel connected to our community. Here's what she missed on Sunday. Maybe if you weren't here, this will help you catch up, too.
This week Kate wrote the letter. Maybe you'll write it next week.
My sermon notes come after the letter. If you want to listen to it, go to the messages page on our website, and search for this date in a couple of days. It's usually up by Wednesday. That would be March 16, 2011.
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Dear Kat,
Today we had pancake cakes - layered pancakes with blueberries or chocolate or bananas in between. They were Joel's idea. He has a sweet tooth.
Today Grace said "Dad", and for the first time we were sure she knew who she was talking about.
Yesterday was Joshua's birthday party - an all-day event- this along with the time change meant lots of hazy tired goofy people today, including Elijah who bonked his head twice and cried and cried.
Today Shawn preached from Matthew 6 about serving either God or money and not worrying.
Today we had women's smallgroup at Alysha's house (you haven't met her yet) and talked for a long time about possessions and idols and making God our primary concern.
Today Ben led worship and it was a beautiful time.
The weather here is nice right now, it's only in the single digits.
-Kate
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Mar 13, 2011 – Shawn Birss – LTTX
Matthew part 5 (ch6) – Sermon on the Mount part 2 – Hidden Citizens of a Hidden Kingdom
REVIEW/INTRO
The Sermon on the Mount (ch 5-7)- Describing how YOU as an individual will change as who you are becoming looks more like who you belong to.
The same Jesus who said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:48) also said (regarding inner righteousness over outward behavior), “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:18-20).
The same Jesus who said, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:20) also said, (to the Pharisees about putting outward action ahead of inward holiness) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26. See also vv27-28) .
These passages are not contradictory. On the contrary, they reveal exactly what the Sermon on the Mount is about. Jesus is describing an outward expression of an inward legal and maturing reality.
The Sermon on the Mount reveals results of participating in Kingdom life, not the means of attaining it.
WHAT WE DO does not determine WHO WE ARE.
WHOSE WE ARE (our own or Christ's) determines WHO WE BECOME.
Because we identify with Christ, his life becomes evident through us.
Who is present?
Disciples – An instructional sermon.
Crowds – An invitational sermon.
Pharisees – A correctional sermon.
Jesus describes in chapter five a people that are fit only for heaven, but then says that it is for the earth that they are salt.
After his disciples have renounced all earthly power, earthly wealth, and earthly recognition, they are now sent to earth.
These meek disciples will inherit this earth they’ve been sent to.
God intends for our lives to be changed lives that change lives.
We are not just passing through.
This world is our home.
We are light, and the property of our life is to shine. We cannot be hidden. We are a city on a hill. We look like Jesus. Our lives of service to Jesus will bring us to the most unlikely and obscure and dark places on earth, and yet we will shine. We cannot be hidden.
The cross was the darkest and most obscure place and time that ever has or will exist, and yet it has been displayed for all the world to see. We are on a lampstand as well.
On the cross, Jesus took on himself all evil, and all the punishment for that evil. He took every eye, and every eye taken in punishment. All eyes and all teeth have been repayed. Jesus was made eyeless and toothless and from the cross he experienced the violence of the greatest of all violent offenders, those who would violently put to death the sinless son of God. Of them he said “Father forgive them”. He forgave them.
And he loved them.
And we are called now in all of our relationships to act in the spirit of that same love.
We are the salt of the earth. We are vitally important to God’s mission and plan for the earth. We are not "just passing through". We are INTENTIONAL SOJOURNERS. This may not be our home, but this is a WORKING VACATION.
We are ALWAYS on mission. We are ALWAYS sent. We are ALWAYS salt and light. The kingdom is now. We live as citizens of it now.
WE ARE THE TEASER TRAILER OF THE KINGDOM TO COME
. . . the travel brochure to the ultimate retirement/honeymoon/vacation destination.
We are the extraordinary, and we will be seen. And God will be glorified.
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1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus makes clear that the extraordinary, bright, and world changing life of the disciple will be found in the most ordinary, common, and even hidden of lives.
To our spontaneous joy in seeing the exciting life of the extraordinary disciple, Jesus responds by asking us to be humbly considerate and reflective of every action we take. The visible life of the believer is not visible for visibility’s sake, but for the glory of God alone. It is not us that is seen, but our good works, so that God is glorified (5:16).
Chapter 6 – Hidden Citizens of a Hidden Kingdom
6:1-18 – A disciple’s public faith
6:19-34 – A disciple’s personal faith
(Next week - 7:1-12 – A disciple’s interpersonal faith - faith shared in the church and in the world)
1. A Disciple’s Public Faith
The issue in this passage is intent.
(Jesus sometimes prays publicly (14:19, 15:36), for a long time (Luke 6:12), and teaches us to be persistent in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). In Mathew 26:36-45 Jesus repeats himself in prayer three times. The difference between these and what Jesus describes is faith and submission. If we babble or persist because we don’t believe God will answer, we are not asking in faith. He already knows what we need. If we think we can twist God’s arm, we’re not humble and submitted. Your will be done.)
vv2, 5, 18 –Hypocrite literally means “two-faced”, and refers to an actor in a mask. Hypocrites played several roles, and wore a different mask for each. We can mask our depravity even from ourselves (23:25-26).
This passage makes it perfectly clear that God is not impressed by our good works.
v3 - It is from ourselves that we must hide our good works. Our eyes are on Jesus, our Rabbi, and we take no notice of ourselves. We are not aware of our own righteousness, because we have none. We are always thirsty for righteousness, and only satisfied in the righteousness of Jesus that exists outside of our good works.
Our good works are not conscious of themselves, but only obedience to the command of Jesus. They are fruits of righteousness, displayed as naturally a result of a disciple’s life as a beating heart which continues its’ essential work quite separately from our conscious thought.
Only by the death of our old man can we accomplish this (Galatians 2:20).
The Lord’s Prayer (vv9-15)
Corporate (our, us)
Daily (therefore, daily repentance – comment on “be perfect”)
Short – Short, daily prayer is okay. It’s also important.
Fasting (vv16-18) – Fasting is a normal part of a disciple’s life. A disciple’s life is a disciplined one.
A Disciple’s Public Faith (vv 1-18) Conclusions
A consequence of this passage is that it identifies and condemns the potential for spiritual elitism. Jesus leaves no opportunity for one disciple of greater means or discipline to be seen as greater or of a higher spirituality than another disciple. There should be no distinctions made, even between clergy and laity.
God has called each of us to obey, and all attention from each of us should be on Jesus, not on ourselves, and not comparing ourselves to one another. Our good works should only serve to point one another to God and his further glory.
A disciple’s life is
Honest
Disciplined
Daily
2 - A Disciple’s Private Faith
Who is your daddy, and what does he do?
The first half of chapter six (vv1-18) challenges us to ask who it is we’re trying to please:
Man?
Or God?
People-pleasers do not impress God. We can only have it one way or the other.
The rest of Chapter six continues to lay two paths before us.
Will we serve God, or Earthly Treasure?
Will we serve God, or Worry?
a. Choose your Master – God or Money
vv19-24
Being faithful in secret (not for the approval of people) and in submission to God’s will and plan stores up heavenly rewards. Doing “righteous acts” for earthly rewards is temporary and false.
The things God gives us are to be used, not collected. Daily bread. Manna goes bad. Hoarding is idolatry. (James 5:3)
Our heart follows our treasure. Here is the point. Jesus is concerned first of all with where our heart is when it comes to our acts of righteousness.
Anything at all which becomes a barrier between us and obedience to Jesus is earthly treasure, it is idolatry, and it is forbidden.
v24 – “Righteous acts” done for the sake of money are unrighteous. Here is the climax of the two masters section. A generous, single eye results in a generous heart, and a life that gives. This shows that God is our master. An evil eye of envy and avarice leads to a life of hoarding, selfishness, and fear. We take. This shows that money is our master. We can’t have it both ways.
Jesus is talking about slavery here. We’re either “owned” by God, or “owned” by money. Both demand exclusive service.
A challenging statement (from Tyler Durden) that actually applies:
You are not your bank account.
You are not the clothes you wear.
You are not the contents of your wallet.
You are not your grande latte.
You are not the car you drive.
You are not your khakis.
You have to give up.
You have to realize that someday you will die
(and be found with nothing left but what you stored up in the Kingdom of Heaven).
Until you know that
you are useless (to the Kingdom of Heaven).
I say, let me never be complete
(until I am perfected by Christ)
I say, may I never be content
(except for my satisfaction in Christ)
I say, deliver me from Swedish furniture
I say, deliver me from clever art
I say deliver me from clear skin and perfect teeth
Deliver us Father from any of our stuff that would replace you.
b. Choose your Provider – God or Worry
vv25-34
If God is my sole master, at the expense of wealth and earthly treasure, I must also trust that he will also be my sole provider.
If earthly treasure is my master, I will be a slave to worry. If God is my master and provider, I will have nothing to worry about.
Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. I have everything I need.
v25 – God gave us life. He gave us a body. Of course he can sustain it. Clothes and food are nothing compared to lungs and breath. Both come from God. Do not worry.
We can’t drive out worry with possessions, because possessions are just another thing to worry about. They become a temporary and uncertain foundation, because all stuff is temporary and uncertain. We can’t drive out cares with cares.
Anxiety always exists in tomorrow, while our things are only to be used for today (daily bread). There is no insurance in our things.
v31 – like 5:47 – Jesus expects an extraordinary life from his disciples, not a common one. He is our example and standard.
v33 – If we believe this, we will not need to seek approval from people (vv1,5). God is our total satisfaction. We do not even look at our income as having come from our own efforts. We are simply obedient, and God is our provider.
v34 - Do not worry about tomorrow. Heavenly Father knows what you need.
James 4:13-15 - Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
-The Fellowship of the Ring
How will I respond if my kids get sick?
You will know what to do when the time comes. They are healthy.
What if a street punk invites me to sleep under a bridge with him?
You will know what to do, and have what you need when the time comes.
Do not try to attack tomorrow’s problems with today’s daily bread. You will have all the provision you need for tomorrow’s problems from heavenly Father when tomorrow becomes today.
Thankyou Father for providing for me today. Help me to see the provision that you’ve already given.
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Conclusions
The Disciple’s Life is…
Honest
Disciplined
Daily
Free of Hoarded Wealth and Lived for the Treasure of Heaven
Free of Anxiety about Tomorrow and Trusting in God Today
Matthew 6
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
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 lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Homework
Identify five items of earthly treasure that you possess that either
1. exists only to please people at the expense of God
2. is hoarded rather than used
3. is being used as an “insurance policy” for the future instead of trusting God
and give it away.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Don’t do it to be seen, even by you.
Next week, we’ll ask you about it anonymously.
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