Spiritual Disciplines That Shape a Sincere and God Centered Life

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You're listening to a podcast from Victory. Our spiritual disciplines

should be real and sincere, not hypocritical nor mechanical. Learn

more about spiritual disciplines in week nine of our series Redefined.

So to start with our topic for today, how many

of you watched the fight this morning? Okay between the

Mayweather and Connor McGregor. They're saying one of the biggest

fights in boxing history. Unfortunately, Connor McGregor was snapped out

in the tenth round and Floyd Mayweather was able to

establish his title as the greatest.

Boxer in history with fifty wins.

Now, I'm showing this to you not because of the

fight this morning, but month before, a month before this fight,

there's this Kazakhstan fitness blogger who posts as Connor McGregor

and went around Las Vegas, New York and La.

So Telegan totally almost look alike.

The height, the tattoo, the the hair, and then he

went around. Then when people saw him together with his

team Connor Connor so and then the people would rush

and everywhere he went he attracted this huge crowd.

It caused huge traffic.

And then he around taking selfish and videos Tapas Don

Taimatau Feeling Eamtnam and Siconnor MacGregor, and then they went

home with their fake picture. Now I'm saying that story

because in the passage of scripture we're going to read today,

Jesus talked about religious actors, religious pretenders, and impostors who

do religious activities for a show during the time of Jesus,

Mimahtula Din Connor MacGregor going around and doing all the

spiritual religious activities, pretending to be somebody that they are

really not, and so they are able to project this

image and make people believe that they are really more

spiritual than they really are. So that's what we're going

to look at today. In Matthew chapter six, if you

have your Bible with you, we're going to read from

verse one to verse eight, and then we're going to

jump to verse sixteen to eighteen. Okay, it says beware

of practicing your righteousness.

Beware 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 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.

Verse five.

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites,

for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues

and at the street corners that they may be seen

by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut

the door, and pray to your who is in secret,

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

And when you pray, do not hip hop empty phrases

as gentiles do, for they think that they will be

heard for their many words.

Do not be like them, for your father knows what

you need before you ask him.

And then we're going to skip because verse nine we're

going to talk about that next week the Lord's prayer,

and we're going to go through the whole prayer that

Jesus taught his disciples. But in verse sixteen talking about fasting,

I'm gonna year you love fasting, Legan, But in verse sixteen,

and when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites,

For they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be

seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have

received their reward. But when you fast, annoint your head

and wash your face, that your fasting may not be

seen by others, but by your father, who is in secret.

And your father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Can you join me in a word of prayer? Lord,

We pray today, Lord, that your word will come to

us with power, with the Holy spirit, and with deep conviction.

Lord.

We thank you Lord that every time we hear your word,

your word brings Lord God comes to us like water,

like fire, like hammer that smashed Lord God, wrong thinking

in Lord God, in wrong mindsets. Lord, we thank you

Lord for what you're going to do. Lord, as we

listen to your word in Jesus name.

Amen.

Okay, now as we read this portion of Jesus sermon.

When I was studying this, I said to myself, this

is so relevant to us, especially today, because we're so

used to telling everybody what is happening about us. Okay,

that's so common for us. We tell people what we eat,

we tell people where we are, we tell people who's

with uh. That's a part of our daily life. We

post it in Instagram and we post it in Facebook,

sometimes in the form of humble brag. How many of

you have heard that phrase humble brag? And I'll show

you some examples. Melanditon Apathe this one, we just you know,

cover the phase so that you would not know that

they are in the five thirty PM service, Sabina, Why

does the Mercedes dealership always have fresh, big hot cookies?

Don't they understand how mean that is? So you're saying

you're always in the you know, in the Mercedes dealership office.

So basically, what is what she wants people to know

where she is?

Next? One at all?

Hi, I'm sixteen and I'm publishing three books in an

album this year. Do you have any advice on how

to handle it? Best knocks very humble. No, you know,

I want to learn from you guys. This is a

hard life. Next one, Sabina, I'm featured in People's Most Beautiful.

What can I say?

They all make mistakes, but did the shoot with no makeup?

And I have to say scary and humble.

No.

The last one, Sabina's setting up your own charity an

event is no joke.

Would have thought it to be easier. This is serious. Now.

In verse one, you know before this portion of jesus

sermon in verse one, if you still remember in week two, uh,

in verse one, we're told to be careful, not to

do our good works for other people to see. In fact,

Jesus exhorted us to do things in secret. But in

week two in Matthew chapter five, verse six, we're told

to let our light shine before man.

How gonna have you?

Remember that the Bible is where the salt and light

of this world, and because of that, we're to allow

our light to shine so that other people will see

our good works and hopefully in.

The process God will be glorified.

Now it seems like it's too contradicting commands from God.

Which one do we follow? And the answer is both,

because sometimes sometimes.

We need to let other people know.

We have to let our light shine, just like what

we did earlier when we showed you the video of

our real life.

Foundation.

Sometimes we have to let people know so that they

will be inspired and so that they will somehow that

will create curiosity and point them to God. But sometimes

we have to do things in secret and not let

other people know. We need to do both. Now, in

other words of ab Bruce, I like how he write it.

He said, show when tempted to hide, and hide when

tempted to show. We need to practice both. But the

difference is the motive. The difference is the motive. Now

Here Jesus mentioned if you in the Bible, if a

word is repeated twice or trice, it means it's important.

How many of you know that everything written in the

Bible is important. Now, if it's if it's repeated twice

or three times, it means it's very very important. Now,

it's interesting because in this passage of scripture, Jesus repeated

the word secret six times, repeated the word reward seven times,

and then he repeated the word father seven times, making

it obvious to us what is trying to emphasize. So

for the remaining time that we have, I want to

talk about the word secret, the word reward, and the

word father. First one is the word secret. Now three times.

Also, Jesus used the word hypocrites.

And during their time, it originally meant actors who wear mask.

It refers to people who are playing roles on stage,

like a theater or a stage play. So that's the

original meaning of the word hypocrites. And and and Jesus said,

don't be like the hypocrites. Don't wear masks, don't put

up a show, and don't just do things just to

project a person that is very different from who you

really are. Jesus said, do not be like them. Then

he gave three specific examples. Okay, so, Sabina, if you're

going to be a follower of Christ, be real, don't

be a fake follower of Christ. If you're going to

worship God, worship God with all your heart. And then

he cites specific examples. But these are just examples. Of course,

this principle can be applied in different areas of our lives.

And he talked about first and foremost about giving, about giving,

and he said, when you give to the needy sound

no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do.

Now.

I tried to research and study, and what I discovered

was it's not really a practice during their time, so

incong if they're going to the temple and they're going

to give their money, nobody does that.

Well, I may have no trumpet has impact offering envelope. Sorry, guys,

just dropping my envelope.

Okay, So Jesus is just trying to make an exaggeration.

It's a figure of speech.

But the point that Jesus was trying to make is

that it's weird. It's weird when you're giving and you're

finding a way to let people know about it.

So when you give, do not be like the hypocrites.

If you're giving, it's because of the generosity, out of

the overflow of the generosity of God in your life,

you know, as Christians. Amazingly, when Jesus thought this, when

he thought about giving, fasting, and praying, he said, when

you give, when you pray, when you fast, because these

spiritual disciplines are expected of Jesus followers.

It's not if, it's when. If you're a.

Christian as a as a byproduct of following Christ and

experience experiencing who God is, his goodness, his grace is generosity.

Out of the overflow of God's goodness, we overflow.

With goodness as well. We become generous.

And so Jesus said, if you give, do not be

like the hipocrites. Then he moved to prayer. He said,

when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because

they love to pray in public.

Ustunelayung.

They want to maximize the the traffic.

Sosan maraaminta fucky God.

And you know, the point that Jesus was trying to

make is not that it's wrong to pray in public.

No, we pray in public. We have prayer meetings.

Sometimes we do our victory groups and coffee shops and

restaurants and we pray right there. So the point is

not that it's wrong to pray in public. But if

you're praying more in public than in private, then there's

something wrong. We should pray more in private than in public.

Praying should be a regular part of our life. It's

it should be as normal as eating and talking and

checking our phones. The bopment may phone tile. There's no

particular place or time we just check it anywhere anytime, counting, gap, plan, conting, break, lamp,

kid at the travel miss and kite my meeting. Miss okay, okay,

wow Wow. We are so attached, We're so connected. The

Bible says, pray without ceasing, pray non stop. What that

means is that don't just pray when you're in church.

Pray when you're driving, Pray when you're waiting for your appointment,

Pray when you're with your kids. Pray before you sleep,

Pray before you eat. I mean, pray when you're afraid.

Pray when you're excited, different times, different places, different length pray.

Pray because you want to connect to God. Pray because

you want to because you want to intercede for others.

It's okay to pray in public as long as we

don't pray for the sake of publicity.

So we pray. And then he.

Talked about fasting, and I like the message translation of

verse sixteen. I want to show this to you is

that when you practice some appetite denying discipline to better

concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it.

It might turn you into a small time celebrity, but

it won't make you a saint. I like that translation

is that when you fast, it's because you want to

be able to focus on God.

But when you fast, make sure you're not turning it

into a production.

Because people might admire you, people might praise you, You

might be a rock star for a minute at the

expense of what God is doing in your character and

in your heart. It might turn you into a small

time celebrity, but it won't make you a saint.

Now.

I think the importance of doing things in secret, the

point that Jesus was trying to make is in doing

these spiritual disciplines, in practicing your righteousness, whatever that is,

whether that's serving, whether that's singing, whether that's preaching, whether

that's serving your family, whatever that is that you do

as a follower Christ, he said, make sure that you

do it.

With the right motive.

And if you're tempted, if you know, every time you

do good works, there's a temptation to be proud to

take the glory rather than to give God the glory, than.

Do things in secret.

And I think the importance of doing things in secret

is that we are forced to focus on God and

to trust in Him. And I think that's the power

of doing things in secret. It forces us to focus

on God. When nobody is aware of what we're doing,

then we're forced to actually.

Devote ourselves to Him.

Nor it doesn't matter if people recognize it. It doesn't

matter if people thank me for what I've done, because

I'm not doing this for people. I'm doing this primarily

for you, and it's you that I want to please.

Doing things in secret, I'm forced to depend on God,

not giving other people a clue because when I give

to somebody, I'm not expecting that person to return to

me the favor. When I give to that person, it's

because I want to be a blessing and I'm looking

to God to be the one to reward me. I

think that's the power of doing things in secret. It

forces us to trust God and to depend on him.

Next one, he talked about reward. How many have you

heard you want to receive rewards?

You know? It motivates us. You know.

One of the couples in our victory group during the

couple's retreat, showed me a real time video of their

kids at home. So we are in Santa Rosa and

then they are showing me what's happening in their house

here in New Manila, Kidaminaga, man Before during my time,

before the internet, uh era, and before that, that typewriter

Daniel Bone, well, I'm on computer, well on internet. Before

that was difficult to imagine. That's unheard of for you

to see what exactly other people are doing in real

time in another place. But now it's so common for us.

It's part of our daily life. It's not impossible, it's

it's a reality for us.

And you know, the Bible says the Bible.

Uh the Bible says that your father, who sees what

you do in secret, will reward you.

How many of you are convinced that God.

Sees what you do in secret? And that's the confidence

we have. You know why we can do things in secret.

You know why we don't have to flaunt our goodness.

You know why we don't need to show off. You

know why we don't need to go to other people

for acceptance and approval. You know why because we are

confident our father in heaven sees what we do in secret.

And I'm not depending on other people for my reward.

I'm depending on my father for my reward. You know,

I think about my children. I have a seven year old,

I have a two year old, and the simplest act

of obedience, especially the younger one.

The two year olds.

Been called come on, fist bump, high five, come on kiss,

daddy does me?

It's alive about But you know, the simplest.

Act of obedience, it brings so much joy to me

as his father.

But it's nothing. It's not like they've done something phenomenal.

But so yes, that better for me. But wow, I'm

so proud of you. You're a man. I'm so proud

of you, and I want to do good things to them.

You know why because I believe that's the heart of

a father, and I believe that's God's heart for us.

Our God is a good rewarder. You know. God rewards

is in many ways.

But you know, the greatest reward always for everything that

we do, is not the money, the promotion.

The healing, the favor, the relationship.

No, in everything that we do, always the greatest reward

is God himself.

He is our very great reward.

It's knowing him, it's being close to him and becoming

more and more life I him.

That's our reward.

That's why sometimes when you do something Paranagzoka, pastor Sibishamani

was telling us and during the early days, they were

preaching about generosity in church because we're a very small church.

There's not much.

Resources, but we're believing for more fund so we can

plant more churches and send more missionaries. And so the

only way for us is to believe for provision from God,

to believe that God is good, that God is generous,

and the Bible says in order for us to experience

the abundance of God, we need to sow by faith.

So during their time, to sona five hundred within the week,

may I'm be blessed them five thousand? Whoa so inspiring

pastor many was so inspired. He was believing for a car,

but all he had was a pair of rubbers shoes.

So Scenoni, he was in faith.

He was believing, You're able to do more than what

we could ask for.

Imagine after a month will happening after two months, third month,

he received a pair of rubber shoes. But you know,

they continued on believing. But you know what he got

more than Maybe he did not get what he was expecting,

but in the process he became closer to him.

His faith, muscles was built.

He looked onto God and depended on him. Eventually somebody

blessed him with a brand new van for the family.

But you know that's not the greatest blessing, and the

greatest reward, Our greatest reward is him. And thirdly is

the word father, Father. You know, it's amazing because in

just the verse as we read, not including the Lord's prayer,

if you include the Lord's prayer, the word father was

mentioned twelve times and over and over again. God has

so many titles, he the Lord, the Messiah, the healer,

the provider, el Shadai. I mean, there's so many names

and titles given to God, but it seemed like his

favorite title is the title of a father, and he

wants his people to relate to him as such.

Like sabit.

You know you don't have to you know, you don't

have to be hungry for approval from other people. But

if you do things in secret, me, your father sees

what you do in secret. And over and over again,

he said, you have a father in heaven. You have

a father in heaven who is not who is involved

in your life. You have a father in heaven who

is generous and good, who delights in your prosperity, who

wants to bless you, who wants to do you good.

You have a father in heaven, and God wants to

communicate to the people because this is something that the

Pharis has missed these religious leaders, because for them it

became all about rules and traditions. It's all about keeping

external rules. It's all about the external and Jesus was

bringing them back to the heart of the message. It's

not about tradition, it's not about rules, it's not about religion.

It's about you having a relationship with your father in

heaven and you being his son and his daughter. He

wants us to know him as our father. Do you

know him as a father? Are you confident that you

have a father who cares for you, who loves you,

who is great plan for your life, who will reward

even the smallest act of your obedience. He's not obligated,

is not required, but by the grace and goodness of God,

he promised to reward every act of obedience we do

for him. That's the God we serve, that's the Father

we serve.

You know.

As I end, I want to end with a quote

from one noted philosopher and theologian modern theologian about the

reason for living.

And here's what she said. Some people live for.

The fortune, some people live for the fame, some people

live for the power.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some people live just to play the game. No,

it's a song.

I was listening to it last night, and I want

to ask you this question, what do you live for?

Who do you live for?

Are you living for the approval of man or are

you living for the approval of God? Are you trying

to please men or are you trying to please him?

The Bible says if you are doing things just to

impress people or get more likes, you have received your reward,

meaning that's all you will ever get. After the like,

that's your reward. After people write a comment on your

Facebook post, that's your reward. That's all you'll ever get,

that fleeting moment of public recognition.

Then it's over.

But everything we do for God, everything we do for God,

will be remembered for all of eternity. Everything we do

for God will echo through eternity.

That's why the simplest.

Life and the least impressive person in the eyes of

this world, maybe you're just a maybe you're a mom

who's part of your worship to God is waking up

every day and serving your family, loving your spouse, and

doing the most mundane of things. There's no trumpet when

you fold the laundry and.

Standing.

Ovation become the club we well happens in it's just

you doing that in secret.

Maybe that you're a dad.

You're working very hard for your family, loving your wife,

leading your leading your kids, quietly serving and advancing the

Kingdom of God. But if you're doing that for God,

it will be remembered and it will be rewarded. The

simplest life and the least impressive person in the eyes

of this world can live a life of eternal significance.

When you live it for His glory. Amen. Can I

just pray right now?

Lord Father, We really we thank you for your word today. Lord,

I pray, make us a people who will not be

obsessed with the things of this world, who will not

be obsessed with the approval of men. But I pray

make us a people whose passion is to honor You

and everything that we do.

Lord, I pray.

That every time we do something, I pray Lord, that

our hearts will be pure. It's not to get the

glory for ourselves, but to give you glory, because only

you deserve all the praise and all the worship and

all the glory. Lord, I thank you for aligning our hearts.

I thank you for aligning our focus. Sometimes life can

be complicated, Sometimes we can be too distracted, Sometimes we

can lose our focus, and sometimes we focus too much

on ourselves or what other people say about us, to

the point of not valuing what you're saying about us.

We value other people's opinion more than your opinion of us.

But Lord, today, thank you for reminding us that only

you deserve our all. Lord, remove the insecurities in our hearts,

remove the pride and the desire to be known, and

replace it with the desire to make you known. Lord,

we acknowledge that everything we do, our talent, our wealth,

our relationships, our help, every blessing that we have, it's

all designed for us to use to worship You, for

us to be a blessing to other people. Lord, we

thank you for the promise reward, even though we don't

deserve it, even though you don't have to. Just what

you've done for us on the cross is more than enough.

Everything after salvation is just a bonus. What you've done

for us on the cross is the greatest gift.

We will ever receive in this life.

Yet, out of your grace and out of your goodness,

you promise to reward even the smallest act.

Of obedience we do.

What a great God, What an awesome God we serve. Lord,

I pray for each and every one of us, give

us a greater revelation.

Of who you are as our father.

Some of us, Lord, we don't have a good experience

with our biological father, and sometimes that hinders us from

relating to you as our father.

Lord, I pray remove those.

Negative image and ideas about you as a father.

Help us love you.

And know you as our perfect, heavenly father who cares

for us, who loves us, who has great plans for us.

Lord, thank you so much, Lord.

Even today, for those who are here for the very

first time, Lord, I thank you for Lord God giving

them an idea of what this is all about, that

it's not about religion, it's about relationship.

Lord.

I pray, let this be the starting point of their

relationship with you. Let this be a trigger, a spark

in their heart, Lord, to know you better. Lord, God,

we thank you for the message we've heard today. We

thank you for the assurance we received from you today.

May we live our lives for your glory and honor.

Thank you for listening to this message. For more messages

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God bless you all.