WHY DO “GOOD?”
Trinity Fellowship
2/25/07
WHY DO WE DO “GOOD?”
SOMETIMES WE DO GOOD THINGS, BECAUSE IT’S EXPECTED OF US, BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY OVER US. BECAUSE IF WE DON’T DO GOOD, WE’LL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES; WE’LL GO TO JAIL, OR GET FINED, OR LOSE OUR JOB. SOMETIMES WE DO GOOD BECAUSE OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT. WE ARE “MOTIVATED” BY THE REWARD.
IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, JESUS PRESENTS US WITH A MODEL OF A LIFESTYLE THAT HAS TO DO WITH A RADICAL STYLE OF MANAGING THREE BASIC RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR LIVES AS BELIEVERS:
1) RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
2) RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD
3) RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
We Are to Do Good to Please God MATTHEW 6:1-7; 14-18
FOUR ACTIONS / FOUR REWARDS:
- (V2) CHARITABLE DEEDS
- (V5) PRAYER
- (14) FORGIVENESS
- (16) FASTING
IN EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS, JESUS SPEAKS OF DEEDS VS REWARDS; AND IN EACH OF THESE, THOSE THAT PERFORM THE DEEDS WITH INCORRECT MOTIVES ALL HAVE THEIR REWARD ALREADY. YOU SEE, THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS NOTHING LESS THAN THE MANIFESTO OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZERETH. THE ROADMAP FROM GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF!
IT IS A RADICAL RE-FOCUSING OF THOUGHT AND LIFESTYLE THAT HE IS COMMANDING HERE: HE IS SAYING THROUGHOUT MATTHEW CHAPTERS FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN, THAT WE CAN CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO MISINTERPRET THE LAW OF MOSES, AND THEREFORE BE CONDEMNED UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES, OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE TO PLEASE GOD.
Charitable Acts
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE GO ABOUT OUR DAY AND DO ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS FOR PEOPLE, BUT WE MAKE SURE SOMEONE IS AROUND TO NOTICE IT, OR WE MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ABOUT IT?
HOW MANY OF US HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF THIS? WHY DO WE DO THIS? BECAUSE IT’S “HUMAN” NATURE. MY FEELING ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS HUMAN NATURE IS THAT IT IS ANYTHING ANY OTHER HUMAN CAN DO. DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NECESSARILY BAD, IT’S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A SOLID RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO DO.
IN OTHER WORDS, I DON’T HAVE TO BE DOING IT TO PLEASE GOD…THE WORLD HAS THOUSANDS OF “GOOD CAUSES” AND CHARITIES THAT YOU CAN BECOME INVOLVED IN.
LINDA AND I GIVE MONEY TO DIFFERENT CAUSES (AND THERE, I JUST “TRUMPETED” IT, DIDN’T I?) ONE OF THESE IS THE RATON ARTS COUNCIL, AND FOR A CERTAIN LEVEL OF GIVING, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR NAME LISTED IN ALL THE BULLETINS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE YEAR, SO EVERYONE CAN SEE IT.
IS THIS BAD? NOT NECESSARILY, BUT IF WE ARE DOING THESE THINGS FOR SUCH RECOGNITION, GOD JUST SAID IN VERS 2 THAT WE HAVE OUR REWARD.
IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T EXPECT ANYTHING MORE OUT OF HIM REGARDING THAT ACT. (NOW LET’S NOT GET RIDICULOUS: I’M NOT GOING TO STOP GIVING TO A CHARITY JUST BECAUSE THEY DO OR DON’T LIST MY NAME.
WHAT HE IS SAYING HERE IS WHAT HE SAYS THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE: IT’S A MATTER OF YOUR HEART. ARE YOU DOING IT ONLY TO GET THE RECOGNITION OF OTHERS? OR DO YOU REALLY CARE. YOU SEE, I COULD CARE LESS IF THEY PUT MY NAME ON A PIECE OF PAPER, IN THE NEWSPAPER, ON THE RADIO, OR ON A BIG BANNER. IT’S NOT WHY I DO IT.)
THAT’S WHY I CAN SAY “NO” TO A LOT OF GOOD CAUSES. BECAUSE IF I’M WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, I’LL ONLY WANT TO GIVE THOSE GIFTS TO SITUATIONS HE WANTS GIVEN TO; IF I’M WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, I CAN ASK HIM, “IS THIS OF YOU, LORD?”
WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION, “HOW DO WE TALK TO GOD?”
We Are to Pray Without Ceasing - MATTHEW 6:5 - 18
-not babbling (v.7)
-but in all things
-at all times (Eph 6:18; 1Thess 5:17)
-for each other (James 5;16)
AND HERE HE GOES ON TO GIVE
-Adoration
-Interests of God and His Kingdom
-plea for forgiveness
-petition for needs
NOW, HAVING SAID THIS, I CAUTION YOU AGAINST ALWAYS FALLING BACK TO A FORMULA FOR YOUR PRAYER LIFE. IF I AM WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, I CAN TALK TO MY FATHER LIKE I’M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
I LIKE WHAT NEIL ANDERSON SAYS ABOUT THIS. HE SAYS IF I ‘M HUNGRY, AND I WANT TO GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT, AND I GET THE URGE TOGO TO TACO BELL DRIVE THRU AND EAT A TACO, I’M GOING TO TELL GOD THANKS FOR THE TACO!
MY WIFE BROUGHT BE A
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH,
NO, I JUST SAID, “THANKS, SWEETY!”
SOMETIMES WE NEED TO GET OFF OUR HIGH HORSE AND JUS T TALK TO GOD. AS IF HE’S REALLY STANDING THERE. (WHICH, THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT, HE IS!)
HE JUST WANTS YOU TO TALK TO HIM LIKE THE FRIEND HE WANTS TO BE, IN ALL SITUATIONS.
YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO START HAPPENING? HE’S GOING TO START TALKING BACK!
Forgiveness (v14)
THIS IS A BIG ONE. ALTHOUGH IT DOESN’T COME RIGHT OUT AND SAY “THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD ALREADY,” IT IMPLIES IT BIG TIME!
“NEITHER, SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FORGIVE YOU!”
YOU HAVE UNFORGIVENESS IN YOUR HEART TOWARD SOMEONE? BETTER GET IT TAKEN CARE OF.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THERE’S GOING TO BE A JUDGEMENT SOMEDAY?
“OH, I’M A CHILD OF GOD, SO THANK GOD I WON’T HAVE TO STAND IN FRONT OF HIM.”
OH YEAH?
THE BIBLE SAYS THERE WILL BE A WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT AND THAT EVERYONE WHO EVER LIVED WILL STAND BEFORE GOD AND GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR LIVES. EVERYTHING I THINK, DO AND SAY IS GOING TO BE REVIEWED IN FRONT OF JESUS CHRIST ONE DAY. (READ REV. 20:11-15)
IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE A BIG MOVIE SCREEN WHERE YOUR WHOLE LIFE FLASHES UP THERE LIKE A BAD MOVIE, FOR YOU AND JESUS TO SEE TOGETHER.
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT SOME OF THAT STUFF I DON’T PARTICULARLY CARE ABOUT SEEING AGAIN!
BUT AT THE END OF THE MOVIE, HE’S GOING TO ASK ONE QUESTION, AND THAT IS IF MY NAME IS WRITTEN IN HIS BOOK!
YOU SEE, WHAT JESUS IS SAYING TO US HERE IN MATTHEW IS THAT WE BETTER START PILING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN, RIGHT NOW.
WE BETTER START LIVING OUR LIVES EVERYDAY AS IF WE CARE ABOUT WHAT HE THINKS OF US. BECAUSE WE WANT TO PLEASE HIM, NOT PLEASE OURSELVES.
TOO MANY OF US TOO OFTEN HAVE IT TURNED TOTALLY AROUND: WE’RE TRYING TO PLEASE OURSELVES FIRST. AND GOD IS STANDING BY OVER HERE SOMEWHERE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
YOU SEE, THE EMERGENCY IS REALLY THIS: IF THAT’S THE NATURE OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, THEN YOU HAVE YOUR REWARD ALREADY!
(c)2007 Richard C. Trice and TriceTunes
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