To be noticed by others (Matthew 6:1-18), continued

• Beware!

  • Meaning

  • Examples

  • Repercussion

    • No reward in heaven (Matthew 6:1).

  • Consistency

    • Proverbs 27:2

    • John 5:44

    • Matthew 23:25

Not for show

• Left hand versus right hand – I Corinthians 12:14-27
• Leading a group prayer – I Corinthians 14:15-17, 26
• Where is the inner room? – Daniel 6:9-11

  • Places Jesus prayed

    • Luke 3:21 – after baptism

    • Matthew 14:23 – alone on a mountain

    • Mark 6:46 – on a mountain

    • Luke 6:12 – off to a mountain to pray all night

    • Mark 1:35

    • Luke 5:16

    • Luke 9:18

    • Matthew 14:19 – Before feeding the crowds.

    • Matthew 19:13 – Prayed over children that were brought to Him.

    • John 17 – With His disciples just before His betrayal

    • Luke 22:32

Meaningless repetition – I Kings 18:26-29

• Why?
  • They were trying to wake up their idols!
• Why not? Isaiah 65:24
  • God hears us!
• Versus persistence – Luke 18:3-8
  • Earnest repeated prayer for the same thing is not vain repetition.

Pray in this manner

• After a manner, not rote – II Corinthians 13:7-9; II Thessalonians 1:11
• Short, simple, to the point.

About fasting

• Keep it clean

• What about fasting?

  • Self-denial with purpose – Isaiah 58:3-7

  • Devotion to prayer

    • Command

    • Necessity

    • Authorization

    • Practicality

Introduction

• Genesis 13:8-13; 19:1-13, 24-25 – Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

God’s punishment (Genesis 19:24)

They were guilty of sin.

• Genesis 18:20-22
• God sees sin occurring on earth. He will not fail to punish that sin.

Sodom and Gomorrah became a legacy.

• Deuteronomy 29:23-24
• Jeremiah 23:14 – Centuries later, Sodom and Gomorrah were still remembered.
• Jude 1:5-7 – The story was well known even into New Testament times!

We need to understand that God punishes!

• Mark 9:43-48 – Jesus the loving savior warned about hell.
• Luke 12:4-5

God’s compassion

Even in this sad and tragic story, we see God’s compassion.

• Genesis 18:23-33 – God was willing to stay the destruction for the sake of ten righteous people, but even that number could not be found in Sodom and Gomorrah!
• Genesis 19:14-23
• II Peter 2:4-10 – God knew how to rescue Lot, and He knows how to save us, too!

We need to accept God’s compassionate offer!

• Genesis 19:17, 26 – Remember Lot’s wife. Don’t look back!
• Luke 17:32
• Luke 9:61
• Let’s put sin behind us and leave it there!

Put on … forgiveness

• Colossians 3:12-13

• What is forgiveness?

  • I John 1:9

  • The word forgiveness means “leave, abandon, or release.”

  • The same Greek word translated forgiveness is also translated to other English words:

    • Matthew 27:50 – “yielded up” His spirit

    • Matthew 4:20 – “left” their nets

    • Matthew 4:22 – “left” their boat and father

    • I Corinthians 7:11 – “divorce” his wife

God is the source of forgiveness.

• Psalms 130:3
• Psalms 103:10-13 – We don’t want God to deal with us according to our sins!
• Acts 5:30-31; 13:3-39 – Forgiveness of sin is only through Jesus and His sacrifice.
• II Chronicles 33:5-6, 9, 12-13 – Even evil king Manasseh received forgiveness after he humbled himself before God.

God is the motivation for forgiveness.

• Matthew 6:12-15 – We should have an attitude of forgiveness because we are thankful for our own forgiveness.
• Matthew 18:21-35; Hebrews 10:29 – People’s sins against me cannot compare with humanity’s sins against God.
• Ephesians 4:32

God is the example of forgiveness.

• Colossians 3:13

• Does the Bible require me to forgive and forget?

  • This is a common phrase, but it is not found in the Bible.

  • Hebrews 10:17, 3 – Peter and Paul were forgiven, but their sins were recorded in Scripture. They could not be forgotten!

  • Genesis 50:15-21 – Joseph was willing to forgive but could not forget the sins his brothers had committed against him that put him in the position he was in. He did let go of any desire to retaliate. He showed them love.

• Must one repent to be forgiven?

  • Matthew 18:15-17; Luke 17:3-4 – We are not instructed to jump to forgiveness.

  • I Corinthians 5:1-2 vs. II Corinthians 2:6-8 – If this is referring to the same man, evidently, he repented.

• What about the statements from Jesus and Stephen?

  • Luke 23:34

  • Acts 2:22, 36-38; 3:13-15, 19

  • We should have an attitude of forgiveness.

Introduction

• Romans 16:16 – These were groups “of Christ.”
• I Corinthians 1:2

Jesus was the authority

• Acts 11:20-26
• Romans 6:3 – People were baptized into Christ – not into a church or a denomination.
• Christians are primarily loyal to Christ – not to their local church.
• I Corinthians 5:1-2 – Local churches can make mistakes!
• II John 1:9 – We must abide in Christ’s teaching.
• John 12:48

Sin was dealt with

• II Thessalonians 1:1; 3:6, 14-15 – Keep away from unruly brethren.
• Galatians 1:2; 6:1-2 – Try to restore a brother that is caught up in sin.
• Acts 20:17, 28-32
• I Timothy 1:3
• II Timothy 4:1-5

The church was a spiritual team

• Philippians 1:1, 27; 4:15-16

• We can read about New Testament local churches:

  • Getting organized with elders and deacons (Philippians 1:1)

  • Praying in a crisis (Acts 12:5)

  • Taking up collections of money (I Corinthians 16:1-2)

  • Sending money to gospel preachers (Philippians 4:16)

  • Trying to get a brother in sin to repent (Matthew 18:17)

  • Providing for its needy members (Acts 6:1)

  • Coming together to worship (I Corinthians 14)

There was lots of teaching and study

• Jerusalem: Acts 2:41-42; 4:2; 5:21, 28, 42; 6:7
• Antioch: Acts 11:20, 26; 13:1; 15:35
• Acts 17:11

Members were simply Christians

• “Christian” – I Peter 4:16; Acts 11:26; 26:28
• “Saints” – Acts 26:10
• “Brethren” – Hebrews 3:1

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

• Not just your neighbor

• Also your enemies – Romans 12:14-21

• Reflects back on us

  • Ephesians 5:1

  • Romans 5:8 – Christ died for us while we were still sinners!

  • Romans 2:24 – Our behavior reflects back on God.

  • I Peter 2:12

  • Our behavior should demonstrate that we are children of God.

• Who is our example?

  • Jesus!

• How are we to be perfect?

  • Complete in terms of love for others.

  • God’s love is perfect when it fills His capacity for love. When our love is perfect, it fills our capacity.

Nor for show (Matthew 6:1-18)

• Beware!

  • Meaning

    • Don’t do good deeds to be seen of men. Do them quietly and humbly to help others.

    • Examples

      • Celebrities giving to causes in very public ways

      • Long prayers in public

    • Results – positive, negative

    • Self-promotion – Jehu (II Kings 10:16, 31)

      • Examples

      • Consistency – Proverbs 27:2; John 5:44; Matthew 23:25