Making Much of God or Making Much of Me (Matthew 6:1-4)

Let's stand for the reading of God's word where in Matthew

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6, the first few verses were in the exact same section.

We were in last week where Jesus moves from chapter 5 to really

begin speaking about motives of the heart.

And in this case, he highlights three aspects of a righteous

Life Giving prayer and fasting. This morning, we're going to

look specifically at what he says about giving then we're

Going to spend several weeks, starting next Sunday, on the

Lord's Prayer, which is what follows, and then, we'll look to

what he says about fasting but not until November, actually,

right before, Thanksgiving, that's great timing.

All right, Matthew 6, this is the Lord's sermon, The Sermon on

the Mount. I'll begin in verse 1 of Matthew

6, and read through verse 4, 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.

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 but when

you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know, what

your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret and

your father who sees in secret will reward you, this is the

word of the Lord. Thanks be to God, please be

seated. This morning in the time we have

I would like to answer one question.

And the question is, how do we kill How do we mortify the

desire in all of us to be praised by men?

We all have it and if you don't think you have it you're wrong.

You do we all do. And it comes out Us in so many

ways with so many layers. How do we kill this desire?

How do we to use that old word mortify?

This part of our flesh? The good news is, we can Anne.

In Christ. And the power of His Spirit, we

actually can receive compliments which aren't wrong and not feel

pride in a way that elevates self But there's only one way to

do it. I'll get there in a moment.

We're going to focus specifically on the

illustration, Jesus uses of giving, but this is not a sermon

about tithing We had a long series back in February of this

year on giving. And if you've never learned much

about giving I think would be worth listening to.

This is about motivations of the heart and Jesus uses giving and

prayer and fasting as an illustration.

And it certainly is applicable to so many other areas as well.

So, the first thing I want to say is that for of believer, for

a person who knows the Lord giving is a given, This isn't

debatable as those who know, Christ, the call in our life to

see those in need and respond with love and charity.

And benevolence is a Given In this passage.

If you look at verse 22, Jesus says, thus when you give to the

needy and the word here is alms, it's not just the tithe he's

talking about it, seeing in need and in making that need met in

the need specifically is of the poor.

So Jesus says, thus when you give to the needy.

So giving is a given and that's all I'm going to say about that

this morning because the focus of Jesus Is not on how much it's

on the heart of the person who is giving in simply put in these

few verses, Jesus shows us, there is a wrong way to give to

those who are in need. And there is a right way.

And what's underneath all of that is a desire that we like

the Pharisees, the Hypocrites, Hypocrites Hypocrites, that he

mentions here desire to be praised by man.

So what's the wrong way? What's this?

Look at the Text look with me again at verse 2.

Thus, when you give to the needy needy, Sound no trumpet.

Before you as the Hypocrites, do in the synagogues and in the

streets that they may be praised by others.

This was their motivation. We spent time here last week.

They're deep heart's. Desire was to be praised by man.

What every time we see sin in our own lives and the life of a

loved one, or in the word people who are sinning, we always need

to be looking at what's the sin underneath?

The said it's easy to say, the Is the Sadducees the religious

leaders. Got it wrong by wanting to be

praised by them. But why did they want to be

praised by man? We're going to get there in a

minute, but Jesus clearly states, this is the wrong way to

give to those who are in need he says again in verse 2, when you

give to the needy giving as a given sound no trumpet, before

you as the Hypocrites, do in the synagogues and in the streets

that they may be praised by others.

So what's the wrong way of giving it?

Making an announcement. when they desired to give, They

desired something more than the desire to meet that.

Need what was really taking place is that an announcement

was given by actors craving the Applause of men?

An announcement was given by actors craving hungering for

thirsting for the Applause of men.

Why do I use the word actors? Jesus says in verse 2 as the

Hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, a hypocrite

was an actor. It was a person, a male, who

would then put on a mask or some other, you know, Vale tudo.

To deteriorate how they looked really.

So they moved into a place on the stage of pretending to be

someone. They were not well the same

thing was happening with the religious leaders, they were

putting on the impression that their hearts desire was to give

the appearance that they treasured God.

They treasured the righteous things actually the word alms as

connected to the word righteous. They treasured the things of God

but they didn't what they treasured was, the praise of

man. And so when the praise of man is

greater in your life than the Delight of God, the desire to

bring God. Praise You're a hypocrite.

The Apocrypha? See that existed here was done

by those who wanted so much the announcement to be made, that

they were generous that they were giving.

So Jesus says, don't blow the trumpets.

Don't make an announcement, don't let others know what

you're doing, so that you may be praised by them.

Those who do that are hypocrites.

They're actors, they give the appearance of Godlike.

This, but their heart is far from me.

He would say that later. So what's the right way to do

it? Jesus moves from verse 2.

He says, 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 last week.

I spoke about this. So maybe listen to that, because

I'm not going to spend much time there today, then he says, but

when you give to the needy again, giving is assumed

Believers are generous. People giving as a given, but

when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know,

what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in

secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you.

Now, Jesus is clearly using hyperbole hair.

It is impossible for us to not know what my left hand is doing.

In my right hand, it's impossible.

So, what's his point? The point that Jesus is making

is this the Hypocrites long to make an announcement, an

announcement with trumpets blasting, that others might see

their acts of righteousness and bring them praise.

They were making much of self, making much of me.

That's the wrong way. Jesus gives us the right way.

He uses his hyperbole to essentially say, don't do what

the Hypocrites. Did, don't make an announcement

to others that you're giving the right way to do it is to not

even make an announcement to yourself.

Don't let your left hand, know what your right hand is doing

your right hand, know what your left hand is doing.

Don't announce it even to yourself.

Well, that's not possible. This is where we have to

understand what Jesus is getting at.

We are so tempted to seek Applause even if it's our own

Applause. So what Christ is saying as be

free in me to give what you're called to give.

But don't seek the Applause. Of others are the Applause of

yourself. You see some of you in here.

You've been giving a long time and it's never been an issue for

you to not have your name in print.

You like, you don't want that if I give you shock that other

people do. So, does that mean you're free

from? This course, not what it means

is that you would be tempted to say, I'm glad I'm not like those

who want their name in print, who want their name on a

building or East on a brick, the layers go deep because our enemy

wants all of us, never to make much of God, but to make bunch

of self. It's not wrong to receive a

compliment. It's not wrong to come up to

someone after you see something, they've done that brings God

glory and say I have is encouraged by what you did.

The Apostle Paul Come ins people throughout his letters but what

is wrong is to live for that Applause.

It's wrong to Crave that Applause in the image of.

Don't let your right hand and left hand know what they're

doing is really helpful because for all of us, when we receive

something like an affirmation, there's a part of us that wants

to be like, no, no, no. No, no don't do that.

But the other end saying, give me more, give me more or patting

ourselves on the back. Its deep deep deep in US.

So much. So that many think it's

impossible. All the various ways I mentioned

last Sunday at how we seek to praise to be praised by others

is overwhelming. The responses I received from

you last week, really were so encouraging but they all kind of

had the same almost defeated position like, ah, well I ever

get over this. Well, the battle ever end.

Well, the battle will never end. For Christ returns.

I mean you'll be tempted to think about yourself, you're the

very end, like what you want people to say your memorial

service or what you want. Put on your Tombstone, whatever

it is. But Victory really is ours in

Christ. There is a way this side of

Heaven in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to wage war on

this to actually be in a place where we can not make much of

self. But there's only one way.

I mean, this is not hyperbole, there's only one way, there's no

other way. The only way to not make Much of

self. The only way to not announce

things that you're doing spiritually in order to be seen

and praised and applauded by others is this way.

And that is to make much of God, the Father, the Son, and the

Holy Spirit, always the only way to die.

To mortify, the flesh that wants to make much of me.

Make much of self is to make much of god, father, Son and the

Holy Spirit. You hear that you're like well

of course, Of course. And maybe you're afraid to say,

but it doesn't work. It does work.

The issue isn't whether it works or not.

Or whether you experiencing it working or not.

It's that when we fail to make much of God, which is all the

time, it's making much of self which rises in and fills that

space But what's the sin underneath it?

If we know it's wrong to blow the trumpet or if we know it's

wrong demon Bullock quiet trumpet in our closet or maybe

we're not announcing what we're doing but we're announcing it to

self feeling pretty good about self.

How do we do this? How do we make much of God?

I want you to think turn in your good, turn in a Bible, grab the

blue and in front of you and just for a few minutes, I want

to go to John 4. This is the story of the woman

at the well, it's a well-known Bible story.

It's about a woman who's going to meet Jesus.

What I want you to picture for a minute is I'm going to lay the

scene is that Jesus is fully man.

What we said about him with our voices together from Colossians

1 earlier in the service is all true.

It's also fully man he's hungry and he's thirsty in his thirst.

He finds himself placed by a. Well, there's a well that has

historical significance and his disciples of left him.

They've gone into town, they're going to get food.

When a Woman by herself because of the You know, basically her

reputation by herself, she comes to get water.

Jesus asked her for a drink, and then this amazing discussion

takes place, I want to pick it up.

In verse 13, John 4:13, Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks

John 4:13

of this water, speaking of the physical water in the, well,

everyone, who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but

whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be

thirsty again, the water that I will give him will become in

him, a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.

This woman doesn't understand. What Jesus is saying, so she

responds in verse 15, the woman said to him, sir, give me this

water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to

draw water. Now changes when Jesus who's

fully man needs. Physical water says something to

her that she has no idea how he knows.

We knows, because he's God. He's omniscient.

There's nothing he can learn about her about us verse 16.

Jesus says to her go, call your husband and come here.

I wonder how long it was before the woman spoke, we don't know.

It might have been instantly, it might have been a little while.

But she says to him verse 17, I have no husband.

Jesus said to her, you were right in saying, I have no

husband for you. Have had five husbands and the

one you now have is not your husband.

What you have said, is true. The woman said to him, sir, I

perceive that you are a prophet, our fathers worshiped on this

mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where

people ought to worship. Jesus said to her woman, believe

me the hour is coming. When neither on this mountain

nor in Jerusalem, will you worship with the father?

You were. Worship.

What you do. Not know we worship.

What we know for salvation is from the Jews, the hour is

coming. And is now here when the true

worshipers will worship the father in spirit and Truth for

the father, is seeking such people to worship Him, don't

lose this. The father is seeking for her to

become one, who's going to worship Him in spirit and Truth.

This, providential collision between the Living, God Christ,

Jesus in this woman, who's had five husbands?

And she's with another man who is not her husband.

About to bring Salvation and Redemption verse 24.

God in spirit and those who worship Him and must Worship in

spirit and Truth. The woman said to him, I know

that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ.

When he comes, he will tell us all things.

Jesus said to her, I who speak to you, a.m. he Let that sink

in. I who speak to you who just said

you are right and claiming you don't have a husband, you've had

five. And the man you're with now is

not your husband, I who speak to you a.m. he now, here's what I

don't want you to miss. When you're tempted to make much

of yourself in prayer or in fasting, or giving the very one

who's in, you the very one you're seeking to serve is the

same man who was speaking to this woman.

How do we stop making much of self by making much of him?

The Living God says, to this woman, I who speak to you a.m.

he and he's the same God that speaks to you through his word

and spirit. The disciples returned verse 28,

it says to the woman left her water jar and went away into

town and said to his people. And I think it's significant.

She left her water jar. Why it's heavy?

There's something more important to give back to the people.

Then the water I would came for. The one who's talking about

living water water that, if I drink from, will never thirst

again. I need people to know, so the

woman left, her water jar went away and came to town and said,

to the people come see a man who told me all that ever did.

Can this be the Christ? So they went out of the town and

they were coming to him. The disciples have a

conversation with Jesus, then. But I want to move forward to

verse 39. Here's what happened.

This collision between this woman and Jesus.

The father seeking people who will worship Him in spirit and

Truth takes place. And now it says, in verse 39,

many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the

woman's testimony, he told me all that I ever did, so when the

Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them and

he stayed there, two days and many more believed because of

his word they said to the woman, it is no longer because of what

you said that we Believe, for we have heard for ourselves.

And we know that this indeed is the savior of the world and the

same man that stayed with them for two days.

The same man that continue to teach them the word that he is

the living water is the same one.

We give to the poor for in his name.

It's the same one. We pray to even when were

tempted to have other people think we pray deep and eloquent

prayers He it's the same saying, same God.

Now what I'm about to tell you next is not in the Bible.

This is not what happened, but imagine is days and weeks went

on. And people came to this place

and Samaria. And people said, this is the

woman that met Jesus, at the well, who's he told her

everything she ever did. Imagine over time that woman

begin to say, well yes, it's true.

He did all those things but, but don't forget about me.

I was the one who actually came to the well because I was

thirsty and I was getting Waterfront.

Don't forget about me. Yes, what he did was great, but

don't forget about me, I have a testimony.

It's pretty. Sensuous, it's one of those

testimonies that really sizzles. I wasn't just somebody that kind

of grew up in the church. I have had five husbands and the

man I was with when I met him wasn't even my husband, so don't

forget about me. It's not in the Bible.

Because I don't think that's what happened.

But when we are tempted, To blow a trumpet.

Or to toot our own horn in the quietness of our prayer.

Closet applauding, ourselves are being applauded by others.

That's how ridiculous it is. When we want to make much of

ourselves to be praised by others, it is ridiculous.

And I do it all the time. I do it from the 9:30 service.

Would it ends to the 11:00 service?

When it begins? The reason I have to confess

with you at 11:00? What?

I just confessed at 9:30 is because there's been enough

minutes in between but the same thing to be confessed again.

And by the way, this is one of the most powerful public

confession of sins we've ever had and I don't know who wrote

it. It wasn't me.

But I'll confess it again later today and tomorrow and some of

you might say, then where's the victory?

The victory is in the fact that when I'm convicted by the Holy

Spirit, the Living God, I know that the only way out of this

race. Is to make much of him.

It is not to bend. My will towards self and say

stop doing those things. It's actually to have my eyes

fixed on something that is so much greater so much more,

beautiful, who paid all that was necessary for me to have

salvation. So that when I want somebody to

know that I'm giving a large tip, or I'm showing up with

money to give a group of hair stylists to Lost.

Money and covid and we're going to care for him as a church.

And I'm tempted to say, next time I come in I hope they know

it was me I think about the one who said, I gave my son.

And he never sinned. And he took all of your sin.

And all of his children sin and he died and suddenly that little

voice and it really is little that saying, praise me.

I'm great. Our praise me because I'm not

that great. Is silenced.

Because something far more glorious far, more beautiful,

far, more sacrificial. Something that's eternal.

Causes that to dissipate it really is the great Christian,

hymn lived out. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. when

you're about to give, And you're tempted to say, look at me.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. When you're about to give a

quote, that makes you sound smarter than most Christians.

And for some reason that makes you feel more Godly.

Or if you despise people like that.

So you don't quote, anybody and you make makes you feel more

humble. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

And look full in his wonderful face.

And here's what happens. Then the things of Earth.

Including the praise of, man. You're a great mom.

You're a great dad. You're so generous?

and the things of Earth, including the praise of, man,

the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of

his glory and grace. It's the only way.

There's no other way. The only way to kill to mortify

the part of us that says make much of me is to make much of

God, the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Let me in with this. Ten times in Matthew 6, 12 18,

including twice in the verses we looked at today Jesus says

something that wasn't said, very often not said very often in the

Old Testament. but said, 10 times in these 18 verses that

deal with giving prayer and fasting 10 times he says Your

father in Heaven. What was the sin underneath the

sin that led these religious leaders to want the praise of

man? They didn't see God as father.

They saw God. As a slave master.

A militant tyrant. Who demanded perfection?

And so they lived a life of deep insecurity That Was Then

motivated by other people giving evidence that they're living a

righteous life. That's what motivated them 10

times. Jesus is going to present to his

audience. The father.

Abba. Ten times.

He's going to make much of his daddy.

Ten times he's going to urge the listeners to see God for who he

is. So how do we died is that self?

How do we modify that flesh? Make much of what the word of

God says about your heavenly father?

About his son Jesus and about the Holy Spirit who lives in

you. And as you do that, that voice

that says blow the horn. Make the announcement.

Let people know what you did or let people know what you didn't

do cuz that's a little horn. Make much of the father.

Make much of the Sun make much of the Holy Spirit.

And when you do watch The desire for men's, praise to dissipate.

Make much of God. Or Jesus.

I'm so thankful that I'm in a church.

That wants to hear the word proclaimed.

I'm so grateful that I can stand in this pulpit and admit how

hard the battle is. but to also celebrate that it's in the

bottle were used so graciously show us that your mercies more

You can actually help us to laugh at ourselves to take

ourselves less seriously. To see the foolishness.

Of how we could never be satisfied by enough.

Praise of man. And we don't need it.

We have you. The Living Water.

Make us secure in you and satisfied in, you?

God, please. Have mercy.

Become much, much greater. In all of our Lives.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

It's Dan.