Matthew 6 - January 6th, 2024

Good morning.

My name is Nathan, and I'm one of the pastors here at Church of the Grove, and we're so thankful that you're joining us today as we journey through the Gospels together.

We'll be using the acronym BRED for our time today, which stands for Breathe, Read, Encounter, Apply, and Devote.

As we approach the scriptures today, let's remember that we're not called coming to gain more information, but we are wanting to have an encounter with a personal God.

He tells us in his word that we will seek him and will find him when we search for him with all of our heart.

So, as we enter into his presence this morning, believe that he wants to meet you with you where you are today.

While you may listen to this on a commute or while you're doing something around the house, I would strongly encourage you to set aside some time to go and be in a place where you can totally focus on being with the Lord.

I would suggest having a journal and a pen handy so that you can take notes for anything the Lord might be saying to you.

And with that, let's open up the scriptures to today's assigned passage.

Before we begin reading today, let's first begin by breathing.

Let's be silent with Jesus for a few moments.

And let's just pay attention to him.

Make sure you remove as many distractions as you can and just take a minute in this stillness to just be with Jesus.

Focus your whole self on the Lord this morning.

Maybe even open up your hands to him and then take a deep breath in.

And then exhale out.

Maybe take another breath in.

And then exhale out.

Calming your spirit.

And then just ask for the Holy Spirit to come and to be with you and to lead you as you begin to read through the scriptures together.

As we encounter the text today, let's just take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us.

And as we're reading through this passage, just maybe take note of things that jump out at you.

If there's something you need to underline or highlight or write down, maybe that's the Holy Spirit's voice speaking to you today.

Today we're reading Matthew chapter six.

Watch out.

Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity.

I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

Give your gifts in private, and your Father who sees everything will reward you.

When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in synagogues where everyone can see them.

I tell you the truth, this is all the reward they will ever get.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your father in private.

Then your father who sees everything will reward you.

When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do.

They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask.

Pray like this.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy, may your kingdom come soon, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need, and forgive us of our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

If you forgive those who sin against you, your father, Heavenly Father, will forgive you, but if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

And when you fast, don't make it obvious as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled, so people will admire them for their fasting.

I tell you the truth, that is the only reward that they will get.

But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face, then no one will notice that you are fasting except your father who knows what you do in private, and your father who sees everything will reward you.

Don't store up treasures here on earth where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desire of your heart will also be.

Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your light is healthy, when your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light, and when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness.

And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is.

No one can serve two masters, for you will hate one and love the other, you will be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life, whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.

Isn't life more than food and your body more than clothing?

Look at the birds.

They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly father feeds them, and aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

And why worry about your clothing?

Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.

They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all of his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.

Why do you have so little faith?

So don't worry about these things, saying, What will we eat and what will we drink?

What will we wear?

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers.

But your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.

Today's trouble is enough for today.

This is the word of the Lord.

As we asked before, we're trying to determine what the Holy Spirit may be saying to us through his word.

And so we're now moving into the encounter phase of the morning.

So take a moment and think through what verse or verses that the Holy Spirit might have led you to, what stands out to you today?

What's something that resonated with your soul?

As you think about that verse, just ask the Lord, what are you trying to tell me?

What are you saying to me, God?

Does this verse or passage make you feel a certain way?

Does something jump out?

Does it stir some emotions within you?

What do you think the Lord is trying to say to you?

If you have a pen or some journal of some kind, maybe even take a moment and write a short reflection of what the Lord might be trying to say to you now.

Let's now move to applying the scriptures to our lives this morning.

As the Lord has maybe spoken to you already, now we're turning our focus outward and we're thinking about how we might actually practically live out what God has been saying to us today.

So ask the Holy Spirit now for just wisdom.

Ask, how should you apply this to your life today?

Spend a moment thinking and praying through that, just focusing on the Holy Spirit giving you wisdom and guidance.

Again, if you have paper and pen, I would encourage you to write this down.

And take some moments and time just to write a simple prayer of devotion to the Lord.

What do you need to say to him?

What do you need from him this morning?

Just write that down as you devote yourself fully to him today.

But I do pray that today, as you go throughout your day, that the Lord would fill you with hope and joy and peace as you commit your day to Him.

Thank you so much for joining me today for our reading.

And please join us again tomorrow for our next reading.