Authentic Righteousness | Fasting

Matthew 6:16 Thru 18.

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Demonstrated By A Transformed Life.

We Have Talked About Worshiping The Right God The Wrong Way:

The Substandard Worship Of God Is Clear From Chapter 6:

THEIR ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES

TOWARD THEIR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

WAS INADEQUATE.

JESUS REESTABLISHED GOD'S VIEW

ON BEING AUTHENTIC.

The Apostate Form Of Judaism Existed Even Before Jesus,

It Exists Without Christ For Centuries And Even Today.

The TRUE Religion Of The Old Testament Was Fulfilled In Christ Jesus.

The Judaism That Rejects Christ Is A False Religion.

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

JESUS CAME TO SET A DIVINE STANDARD.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

I Am Come To: Explain God Sees Even Covert Action Of Hypocrisy.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach To:

The Things Of Life.

What Defiles You.

Theology.

Worship.

PRAYER.

So What Is The RIGHT Approach To God ?

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD

SHOULD COME FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

DO NOT BE PHONY:

In Your Giving: In Your Praying: In Your Fasting:

So, Jesus Really Unmasks Hypocrisy.

PREVIOUSLY: 

THE PROPER MOTIVE IN PRAYER.

THE PROPER ATTITUDE IN PRAYER.

TODAY: THE PROPER PURPOSE OF FASTING.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

JESUS WANTS US TO FAST AND PRAY SO WE FOCUS ON HIM.

OUTLINE:

IN THIS PASSAGE WE WILL SEE THAT

1) JESUS ASSUMES THAT WE WILL FAST.

2) JESUS WARNS US AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

3) JESUS ADMONISHES US TO HEARTFELT FASTING.

I. JESUS ASSUMES THAT WE WILL FAST (VS. 16A)

Matthew 6:16:

Moreover Every Time That You Fast,

Do Not Be Like The Hypocrites.

NOTICE THAT JESUS SAYS TO THE DISCIPLES:

WHEN YOU FAST, DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES.

He Clearly Presupposes That They Will Fast,

Even If Not Until A Later Time,

The Bible Clearly Shows That Jesus’ Followers Did Indeed Fast After His Resurrection And Ascension.

For Example:

Acts 13:1-3:

Now In The Church That Was Antioch,

There Were Certain Prophets And Teachers:

As They Ministered To The Lord And Fasted,

The Holy Spirit Said, “Now Separate To Me Barnabas And Saul For The Work To Which I Have Called Them.”

Then, Having Fasted And Prayed, And Laid Hands On Them, They Sent Them Away.

PROPER FASTING:

TELLING GOD THAT YOUR PRIORITY

AT THAT MOMENT

IS TO BE ALONE WITH HIM.

A COUPLE OF PURPOSES FOR OUR FASTING:

First: Fasting Helps Us To Seek The Lord’s Guidance.

Second: Fasting For Setting Apart Certain People For Ministry.

A Part Of Committing Men To Service For The Lord.

A Part Of Appointing Elders To A Local Church.

A Part Of Setting Men Apart For Ministry.

No Doubt Involves Praying,

No Doubt Asking For God’s Empowerment And Protection,

No Doubt Before Embarking On Ministry Opportunity.

IT IS THE EXAMPLE THE APOSTLES HAVE LEFT US.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5:

Instructions For Married Couples During Fast.

Do Not Deprive One Another Except With Consent For A Time,

That You May Give Yourselves To Fasting And Prayer;

And Come Together Again So That Satan Does Not Tempt You Because Of Your Lack Of Self-Control.

Fasting Can Involve Abstaining From More Than Just Food.

Married Couples Might Wish To Abstain From Marital Relations.

This Text Stresses That Both Parties Consent In This Case.

We Tend To Think Of Fasting As Going Without Food.

But We Can Fast From Anything.

Another Example:

Corinthians 6:4-5:

Paul’s Description Of His Sufferings As An Apostle:

But In All Things We Commend Ourselves As Ministers Of God:

In Much Patience, In Tribulations, In Needs, In Distresses,

In Stripes, In Imprisonments, In Tumults, In Labors, In Sleeplessness, In Fastings.

Fasting Was Simply One Of The Things A True Apostle Did ! !

Fasting Is Mentioned Separately From Times Of Hunger And Thirst.

Fasting Is Different Because It Is An Active Choice.

Based On His Teaching In The Sermon On The Mount:

Jesus Assumed Fasting Would Be A Common Practice,

Just As Praying And Giving Would Be Common Practice For Them.

BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU AND ME?

We Should:

Include Fasting As Spiritual Discipline In Our Lives.

Be Careful About The Way We Do It.

Jesus Teaches In This Passage :

WRONG FASTING.

TRUE FASTING.

II. JESUS WARNS US AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL FASTING (VS. 16)

Hypocritical Fasting Is Described: Its Goal And Its Reward.

1. THE GOAL OF HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

Matthew 6:16:

Moreover, When You Fast,

Do Not Be Like The Hypocrites, With A Sad Countenance.

For They Disfigure Their Faces

That They May Appear To Men To Be Fasting.

As Jesus Describes The Hypocrites:

They Would Go Around With A Sad Countenance,

They Would Disfigure Their Faces,

They Would Appear To Be Fasting To Others.

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN: WOULD DISFIGURE THEIR FACES?

To Render Invisible Or Unrecognizable, Of One’s Face,

To Disfigure With Ashes,

By Leaving The Hair And Beard Unattended,

By Coloring The Face To Look Pale,

AS THOUGH FASTING.

Instead Of Trying Merely To Look Sad:

They Should Be Truly Saddened By Their Spiritual Bankruptcy,

They Should Have Repented Of Their Sinful Pride.

They Should Have Remembered Scripture About True Fasting.

EXAMPLE:

Isaiah 58: IN THIS CONTEXT

God Was Angry With The Jews Attitude About Fasting:

They Asked God:

Why Have We Fasted And You Have Not Seen.

Why Have We Afflicted Our Souls And You Take No Notice.

THEIR WRONG FASTING:

God Responded:

In The Day Of Your Fast YOU Find Pleasure,

In The Day Of Your Fast YOU Exploit All Your Laborers.

Indeed You Fast For Strife And Debate,

And To Strike With The Fist Of Wickedness.

You Will Not Fast As You Do This Day,

To Make Your Voice Heard On High.

HIS TRUE FASTING:

A Fast That I Have Chosen,

A Day For A Man To Afflict His Soul?

Is It To Bow Down His Head Like A Bulrush,

And To Spread Out Sackcloth And Ashes?

Would You Call This A Fast ?

Would You Call This An Acceptable Day To The Lord?

IS THIS NOT THE FAST THAT I HAVE CHOSEN:

To Loose The Bonds Of Wickedness,

To Undo The Heavy Burdens,

To Let The Oppressed Go Free,

And That You Break Every Yoke?

Is It Not To Share Your Bread With The Hungry,

To Bring To Your House The Poor Who Are Cast Out;

2. THE REWARD OF HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

Matthew 6:16:

I Say To You, They Have Their Reward.

IN CONTEXT THIS MEANS THE REWARD WAS RECEIVED IN FULL.

The Point:

Hypocrites Aim At Impressing Others With Their SPIRITUALITY.

Hypocrites Are Selfish And Expects A Reward From God And Man.

But There Will Be NO REWARD FROM GOD.

Hypocrites Receive Only A Temporal Reward From Man.

III. JESUS ADMONISHES US TO HEARTFELT FASTING.

True Fasting Is Described: Its Goal And Its Reward.

1. THE GOAL OF TRUE FASTING.

Matthew 6:17-18:

When You Fast, Anoint Your Head And Wash Your Face,

So That You Do Not Appear To Others To Be Fasting.

But To Your Father Who Is In The Secret Place.

The Goal Of True Fasting Is:

To Fellowship With God.

To Be Concerned With What HE Thinks.

To Bring Glory To HIM Rather Than Ourselves.

To Be Faithful To Our GOD.

To Desire Pleasing HIM Rather Than Mankind,

KNOW AND REMEMBER THIS:

GOD LOOKS

NOT MERELY ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE

BUT UPON THE HEART.

EXAMPLE: Prophet Samuel Thought David's Brother Looked More Like A King Than David.

1 Samuel:

But The Lord Said To Samuel,

Do Not Look At His Appearance Or At The Height Of His Stature, Because I Have Refused Him.

For The Lord Does Not See As Man Sees.

For Man Looks At The Outward Appearance,

But The Lord Looks At The Heart.

THIS IS A LESSON THE HYPOCRITES HAD CLEARLY FORGOTTEN,

BUT ONE WHICH WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET.

WHEN WE FAST TO BE SEEN BY GOD RATHER THAN OTHERS,

HE SEES WHAT THEY CANNOT SEE.

HE SEES WHAT IS IN OUR HEARTS.

2. THE REWARD OF TRUE FASTING.

Matthew 6:18b:

And Your Father Who Sees In Secret Will Reward You Openly.

WHAT REWARD DOES JESUS HAVE IN MIND?

IN CONTEXT IT IS ON FUTURE, HEAVENLY REWARDS.

EXAMPLE:

Matthew 5:12:

Rejoice And Be Exceedingly Glad,

For Great Is Your Reward In Heaven,

For So They Persecuted The Prophets Who Were Before You.

Jesus Says Immediately Following His Teaching On Fasting:

As We Fast, Remember That We Are Seeking Heavenly Treasure.

JESUS WANTS US TO FAST AND PRAY SO WE FOCUS ON HIM.

Authentic Righteousness | Prayer

SCRIPTURE | Matthew 6:9-15

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Demonstrated By A Transformed Life.

We Have Talked About Worshiping The Right God The Wrong Way:

The Substandard Worship Of God Is Clear From Chapter 6:

THEIR ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES

TOWARD THEIR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

WAS INADEQUATE.

JESUS REESTABLISHED GOD'S VIEW

ON BEING AUTHENTIC.

The Apostate Form Of Judaism Existed Even Before Jesus,

It Exists Without Christ For Centuries And Even Today.

The TRUE Religion Of The Old Testament Was Fulfilled In Christ Jesus.

The Judaism That Rejects Christ Is A False Religion.

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

JESUS CAME TO SET A DIVINE STANDARD.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

I Am Come To: Explain God Sees Even Covert Action Of Hypocrisy.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach To:

The Things Of Life.

What Defiles You.

Theology.

Worship.

PRAYER.

So What Is The RIGHT Approach To God ?

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD

SHOULD COME FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

DO NOT BE PHONY:

In Your Giving: In Your Praying: In Your Fasting:

So, Jesus Really Unmasks Hypocrisy.

PREVIOUSLY: THE PROPER ATTITUDE IN PRAYER.

1. PRAYERS OF VANITY:

A. The Recognition Desired:

THE MOTIVE OF YOUR PRAYER MATTERS !!

If Offered To Receive The Recognition And Praise Of Men,

It Is Nothing More Than Words Uttered From Our Lips.

B. The Reward Displayed:

Prayer Offered Simply For Recognition And Public Praise.

They May Receive It, But That Is All.

C. The Rebuke Conveyed:

We Must Pray With A Sincere Heart.

We Must Pray With A Genuine Desire For God To Do Anything,

2. PRAYERS OF SAMENESS:

Jesus Addressed The Repetitive Prayers Of The Heathen.

A. Their Practice:

No Thought Or Desire In Their Prayers,

Just Familiar Words Repeated Over And Over Again.

THE FOCUS IS THE ATTITUDE OF OUR PRAYERS.

Prayer Needs To Flow From The Heart,

B. Their Perception:

Ensure That Our Motive Is Pure.

Ensure That Our Attitude Is Right.

3 PRAYERS OF SINCERITY:

THE ATTITUDE OF PRAYER GOD DESIRES.

BE CAREFUL:

DO NOT Pray In A Way That PLEASES MEN NOT GOD.

DO NOT Pray REPETITIVE THOUGHTLESS PRAYERS.

Be Careful TO SENSE THE URGENCY Of Prayer.

Be Careful TO SEE THE NECESSITY Of Prayer.

Be Careful TO BE EARNEST In Prayer.

Be Careful TO BE SINCERE When We Pray.

Our God Is Not Limited.

Our God Is Not Bankrupt.

Our Every Need He Can Supply.

Bring Your Needs In Life To The Lord.

Bring Your Difficulties In Life To The Lord.

SO THE KEY TAKEAWAY TODAY:

JESUS ADDRESSES ATTITUDES AND MOTIVES OF PRAYER.

SOME PRAYERS ARE UNACCEPTABLE.

SOME PRAYERS ARE HEARD AND ANSWERED.

NOW VERSES 9 THRU 15:

AUTHENTIC PRAYER BEGINS WITH GOD: 9-10:

AUTHENTIC PRAYER DEPENDS ON GOD: 10-15:

SO, PRAY THEN LIKE THIS:

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN:

IT BEGINS WITH GOD.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD:

IT DEPENDS ON GOD.

Jesus Gives A Simple Model Of Prayer For His People To Follow.

Known As The Lord's Prayer:

But Jesus Could Not Pray This For Himself.

Jesus Would Not Pray For Forgiveness Of Sin For Himself.

It Might Be Better Called: THE DISCIPLES PRAYER:

This Outline Explains The Right Attitudes Of Prayer.

This Outline Explains The Components Of Prayer.

AN APPEAL FOR A DECLARATION TO GOD,

AN APPEAL FOR FORGIVENESS FROM GOD,

When Jesus Teaches Us How To Pray, 

And This Is The Model Of How To Pray, 

Beginning And End Of That Prayer Focuses On God,

THE FOCAL POINT OF THE PRAYER THEN:

IS ON THE GLORY AND THE KINGDOM, 

THE HONOR OF GOD, 

THE EXTENSION OF HIS KINGDOM. 

Everything Has To Fit Into That Context, 

So That All Prayer In A Sense Is Controlled By The Kingdom, by The Glory Of God. 

This Truth Is Really Basic To Our Prayer Life.

John 14:13. Whatever You Ask In My Name, I’ll Do It That The Father May Be Glorified In The Son.

Prayer Begins And Ends:

Not With The Indulgence Of Man, 

But With The Glory Of God,

Not With The Building Of My Empire,

But His Kingdom, 

Not With Getting What I Want,

But Doing His Will,

Not With The Elevation Of My Name.

But With The Hallowing Of HIS Name.

EVERYTHING IN PRAYER REVOLVES AROUND:

WHO GOD IS.

WHAT GOD WANTS.

HOW GOD IS TO BE GLORIFIED.

That Is The Sum And Substance Of Proper Praying.

Anything Else Is Going To Lead To Self Indulgence.

PRAYER IS PRIMARILY WORSHIP.

It Is Godward.

It Is Not For Me To Get Get Get.

It Is To Allow God To Be Glorified.

My Prayers Should Be NOT Primarily For What I Can Gain.

My Prayers Should Be For The Glory Of God.

FIRST THOUGHT IN THIS PRAYER:

GOD’S PATERNITY, GOD IS FATHER.

OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN.

We Go To God Because He Is Our King Our Monarch, Our Judge, Our Creator But ALSO OUR FATHER.

Isaiah 64:8,

Now, O Lord, Thou Art Our Father,

We Are The Clay And Thou Our Potter,

We All Are The Work Of Thy Hand.

That’s The Recognition.

You Made Us.

You Gave Us Life.

You Gave Us Birth.

You Supply Our Resources.

We Belong To You Through Through Faith In Christ.

We Are Your Adopted Children.

And When I Come To God In Prayer,

We Come To Our LOVING FATHER.

This Was A New Revelation In Many Ways To The Jews.

They Saw God As Father Only In A National Sense.

If God Is Seen As Father In The Old Testament,

He Is Seen As The Father Of A Nation,

Not An Intimate Loving Father Of An Individual.

Jesus Came And Revealed God As An Intimate Loving Father.

Romans 8:15: Paul Says: Abba Father which Means PAPA.

Those Are Terms Of Endearment, Terms Of Intimacy.

SECOND THOUGHT IN THIS PRAYER,

GOD’S PRIORITY,

Verse 9: Our Father Who Art In Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name.

Here Is The First Petition. 

And The Essence Of This Petition Is Worship.

God, The First Thing I Pray Is That Your Name Be Hallowed.

The Fundamental Duty In Prayer:

Your Needs Must Be Given A Secondary Place

The Lord Is Freely Accorded The Preeminence

In Our Thoughts, Desires, And Supplications.

The Glory Of God’s Great Name Is The Ultimate End Of All Things:

Every Other Request Must Not Only Be Subordinated To This One,

But Be In Harmony With And In Pursuance Of It.

WE CANNOT PRAY CORRECTLY

UNLESS THE HONOUR OF GOD

BE DOMINANT IN OUR HEARTS.

Recognition That God Is Father.

Recognition That God’s Name Is To Be Hallowed.

Hallowed Be Thy Name: That Simply Means All That God Is.

WHICH MEANS TO EXALT OR LIFT ON HIGH.

In Those Days The Name Of Someone Was The Sum Of them.

Who They Were. It’s Still That Way To Some Extent.

God: There’s An Image Of All That He Is In That Name.

God’s Name Is The Sum Of All That He Is.

Christ’s Name Is The Sum Of All That He Is.

The Name Stands For The Nature, The Attributes, The Character, The Personality Of God.

So What This Petition Is Saying:

Father, May Your Person, Your Identity, your Character, Your Nature, Your Attributes, And Your Reputation Be Hallowed.

GOD PATERNITY,

GOD'S PRIORITY,

3. GOD'S PROGRAM.

Verse 10 Says, Thy Kingdom Come.

Here Is A Prayer For The Advancement Of God’s Kingdom.

This Marks Every True Man And Woman Of God Through The History Of The Kingdom.

The Saints Of The Ages Have Been People Who Greatly Were Concerned About God's Program:

WHAT IS GOD'S PROGRAM?

THE ADVANCEMENT OF GOD’S KINGDOM,

Not The Building Of Their Own Empire,

Not The Padding Of Their Pocket.

Our Prayer Should Be About How To Advance The Kingdom?

We’re Not Praying Just About The Success Of Our Enterprise.

We’re Not To Be Praying Just About Our Particular Needs.

The Bottom Line Is: Lord, Just Let Your Kingdom Come.

Not Our Petty Kingdom, His Kingdom.

But What You Really Pray For Is That The Kingdom Would Come However And In What Way,

And Through Whomever God Would Want It To Come.

THE CENTRALITY OF PRAYER THEN IS WORSHIP.

We Go To A Loving Father, but That Means We Accept That He Knows Best And In Obedience Respond To Him. 

In Our Prayers, We Should Be Concerned About:

The First Thing Is His Glory. 

The Second Thing Is The Extension Of His Kingdom. 

The Third Thing Is His Will Be Done,

GOD PATERNITY.

GOD'S PRIORITY.

GOD'S PROGRAM.

4. GOD'S PURPOSE;

Verse 10, Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven.

Thy Will Be Done.

MEANS: God, Do Your Purpose.

We Should Always Pray:

Lord, Do Your Will.

That Should Be What We Always Want !!!

We Should Not Want Anything That Is Not God's Will.

We Should Not Want Anything That Is Not For God's Purpose.

And Even Though God Is My Father And Loves Me,

And Even Though If I Ask Him For Bread He Won’t Give Me A Stone,

And If I Ask Him For Fish He Won’t Give Me A Snake,

Even Though God Has Resources Unlimited To Give.

Those Things Are Given When They Will Give Him Glory,

When They Will Extend His Kingdom

When They Will Fulfill His Will.

SO, OUR PRAYERS SHOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THESE.

THAT’S HOW JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY.

So, The End Of Prayer Is Not So Much Tangible Answers.

the End Of Prayer Is A Deepening Life Of Dependency.

The End Of Prayer Is A Greater Sense Of Being a Part Of God’s Kingdom And What God Is Doing.

First I Ask For My Needs To Be Supplied.

Secondly, For My Sins To Be Forgiven.

Thirdly, Lead Us Not Into Temptation, Deliver Us From Evil.

We Pray For Needs.

We Pray For Cleansing.

We Pray For His Protection.

But All Within The Contexts Of His Glory.

PRAYER IS WORSHIP.

A Worshiping Prayer Gives God The Right To Be God,

To Glorify His Name, 

To Extend His Kingdom.

To Do His Will.

THAT IS HOW GOD WANTS US TO PRAY AND BE HEARD !!

Authentic Righteousness | Praying

Matthew 6:5–8.

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS Is Our Focus.

Last Time We Talked About Authentic Giving:  This Time Authentic Praying.

What Is Clear About The Most Religious Leaders In Israel At The Time Of Jesus?

THEIR ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES

TOWARD THEIR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

WAS INADEQUATE.

JESUS REESTABLISHED GOD'S VIEW

ON BEING AUTHENTIC.

WHO WERE THE LEADERS JESUS WAS TALKING WITH IN MATTHEW 6 ?

SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AND SADUCEES.

THEY ASCRIBED TO THE RABBINIC TRADITIONAL JUDIASM:

APOSTATE JUDIASM:

Originally Worshiped The Right GOD The Right Way.

It Fell Away Into Apostasy:

It Became Works Based, Tradition Focused, Self-Righteous, False.

INTERNAL TRUE RELIGION: BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY:

Being Humble Toward God,

Repenting Of Sin According To The Moral Law Of God,

Turning Toward God For Forgiveness Of Sin,

Finding Salvation By Faith Alone In Him.

WE LEARNED LAST TIME:

YOU KNOW IT IS APOSTATE WHEN:

THE TRADITIONS AND INTUITIONS OF MEN

ARE MORE AUTHORITATIVE

THAN THE AUTHORITY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.

WHEN IT IS NOT INTERNAL HEART CENTERED WORSHIP

OF THE ONE TRUE GOD THRU JESUS CHRIST THE SON.

Scripture Is Very Clear: There Is One God And Only One God,

There Is One Lord And Only One Lord,

God In Christ Has Been Revealed As Savior, Redeemer, And King.

There Is One And Only One Inspired Revelation, The BIBLE.

There Is Only One Accurate Correct Interpretation Of The BIBLE.

There Is ONLY ONE Plan Of Salvation In The BIBLE.

APOSTATE JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY ARE NOT COMPATABLE.

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

HE Explained To Them:

You Have Torn Down The DIVINE Standard.

You Have Reconstituted A HUMAN Standard.

Your Human Standard Is NOT Acceptable To God.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach Towards The Things Of Life.

They Have The Wrong Approach To What Defiles You.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Theology.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Worship.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Giving.

They Have The Wrong Approach To PRAYER.

JESUS SUMS UP

THE WHOLE AREA OF RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY:

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD,

SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

Your Giving: Phony,

Your Praying: Phony,

Your Fasting: Phony.

So, He Really Unmasks Hypocrisy.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

PRAYER IS A DEMONSTRATION OF GOD’S WORTH.

PRAYER IS NOT A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR WORTH.

OUTLINE:

1. INAUTHENTIC PRAYING (6:5, 7).

A. PRAYING TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS.

B. PRAYING TO BE HEARD BY OTHERS.

2. AUTHENTIC PRAYING (6:6, 8).

A. PRAYING TO BE SEEN BY THE FATHER.

B. PRAYING TO BE HEARD BY THE FATHER.

6:5-8 When You Pray,

DO NOT Be Like The Hypocrites,

For They Are Fond Of Praying:

Standing In The Synagogues ,

And At The Corners Of The Streets,

So That They May Be Seen By People.

This Is The Truth I Tell You--They Are Paid In Full.

When You Pray,

Go Into Your Private Room,

And Shut The Door, And Pray To Your Father Who Is In Secret;

And Your Father Who Sees What Happens In Secret,

Will Give You Your Reward In Full.

When You Pray:

DO NOT Pile Up Meaningless Phrases, As The Gentiles Do,

For Their Idea Is That They Will Be Heard Because Of Long Prayers.

DO NOT Be Like Them,

For Your Father Knows The Things You Need Before You Ask Him.

1. INAUTHENTIC PRAYING (6:5, 7).

A. PRAYING TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS.

B. PRAYING TO BE HEARD BY OTHERS.

HOW NOT TO PRAY:

No Nation Ever Had A Higher Ideal Of Prayer Than Israel;

No Religion Ever Ranked Prayer As Top Priority Like Judaism.

The Rabbis Said: PRAYER IS GREATER THAN ALL GOOD WORKS.

But Certain Faults Had Entered Into The Jewish Habits Of Prayer.

These Faults Are NOT LIMITED TO Jewish Ideas Of Prayer;

These Faults Can Occur In A Community Where Prayer Is A Priority.

These Faults Are Not From Neglect.

These Faults Are From Misguided Devotion.

(I) PRAYER TENDED TO BECOME FORMALIZED.

There Were 2 DAILY PRESCRIBED PRAYERS For Every Jew.

THE FIRST WAS THE SHEMA:

"Hear, O Israel, The Lord Our God Is One Lord."

The Full Shema Had To Be Recited By Every Jew.

The Full Shema Had To Be Recited Every A.M. And Every P.M.

It Had To Be Said:

Morning: Before The Third Hour, 9 A.M. AND Evening: Before 9 P.M.

NO MATTER WHERE A PERSON FOUND THEMSELF: Home, The Street, Work, Synagogue, ONE Must Stop And RECITE IT.

Many Loved The Shema And Repeated It With Reverence, Love.

Many More Who RECITE IT OUT OF DUTY NOT HEART FELT INTENT.

The Shema Had A Chance Of Becoming A Vain Repetition,

It Might Be Mumbled Like Some Spell Or Incantation.

We Have No Room To CRITICIZE: How We Pray At Mealtime.

THE SECOND WAS THE SHEMONEH 'ESREH:

It Consisted Of Eighteen Prayers (And Later Grew To Be 19),

An Essential Part Of The Synagogue Service.

Most Of These Prayers Are Short,

All Of Them Are Very Lovely.

EXAMPLES:

The Twelfth Prayer:

Let Thy Mercy, O Lord, Be Showed Upon The Upright, The Humble, The Elders And Teachers Of Israel,

Be Favorable To The Pious Strangers Among Us, And To Us All.

Give Thou A Good Reward To Those Who Sincerely Trust In Thy Name,

That Our Lot May Be Cast Among Them In The World To Come,

That Our Hope Be Not Deceived.

Praised Be Thou, O Lord,

Who Art The Hope And Confidence Of The Faithful.

The Fifth Prayer:

Bring Us Back To Thy Law, O Our Father;

Bring Us Back, O King, To Thy Service;

Bring Us Back To Thee By True Repentance.

Praised Be Thou, O Lord Who Dost Accept Our Repentance,

The Jews Must Recite It 3x A Day: Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Just Like The SHEMA:

The Devout Jew Prayed It With Loving Devotion;

There Were Many More Who RECITE IT OUT OF DUTY OR HABIT WITHOUT ANY HEART FELT INTENT.

It Had A Chance Of Becoming A Vain Repetition,

It Might Be Mumbled Like Some Spell Or Incantation.

Again, We Have No Room To CRITICIZE: How We Pray At Bedtime.

(II) THE JEWISH LITURGY SUPPLIED STATED PRAYERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS:

All Aspects Of Life Had Its Stated Formula Of Prayer.

There Was Prayer Before And After Each Meal;

There Were Prayers In Connection With The Light, The Fire, The Lightning, On Seeing The New Moon, Comets, Rain, Tempest, At The Sight Of The Sea, Lakes, Rivers, On Receiving Good News, On Using New Furniture, On Entering Or Leaving A City.

Everything Had Its Prayer.

Clearly There Is Something Infinitely Lovely Here.

It Was The Intention That Every Happening In Life Should Be Brought Into The Presence Of God.

BUT, Again, Prescribed And Stated Prayers Can Easily RECITED OUT OF DUTY OR HABIT WITHOUT ANY HEART FELT INTENT.

(III) THE DEVOUT JEW HAD SET TIMES FOR PRAYER:

The Hours To Pray Were Specific.

The Rule Was To Stop Whatever Your During And PRAY.

Clearly One Might Be Genuinely Remembering God,

Or One Might Be Carrying Out An Habitual Formality.

THE CUSTOM: Remember GOD 3x A Day Everyday:

POTENTIAL DANGER: Becoming Just An External Ritual.

(IV) THERE WAS A TENDENCY TO CONNECT PRAYER WITH CERTAIN PLACES, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE SYNAGOGUE:

There Are Certain Places Where God Seems Very Near,

But There Were Certain Rabbis Who Taught Prayer Was Not Heard If It Was Offered In The Temple Or In The Synagogue.

THE CUSTOM: Go To The Temple At The Hours Of Prayer.

POTENTIAL DANGER: Was GOD Confined To Certain Holy Places?

REMEMBER: The Whole Earth Is The Temple Of God.

(V) THERE WAS A TENDENCY TOWARDS LONG PRAYERS:

A Tendency To Long Prayers Is NOT Confined To The Jews.

In 18th Century Worship In Scotland Length Meant Devotion.

Rabbi Levi Said: Whoever Is Long In Prayer Is Heard.

If A Person Banged Long Enough At God's Door, He Will Answer.

(VI) THERE WAS REPETITION THAT WAS USED AND OVERUSED:

Endless Repetition Of Scripted Prayer Was Used To HYPNOTIZE.

Some Jews Did That With The Shema.

It Is A Kind Of Substitution Of Self-Hypnotism For Prayer.

Another Way In Which Jewish Prayer Used Repetition.

Attempt To List Every Possible Title And Adjective In The Address Of A Prayer To God.

One Famous Prayer Begins:

Blessed, Praised, And Glorified, Exalted, Extolled And Honored,

Magnified And Lauded Be The Name Of The Holy One.

(VII) CERTAIN JEWS PRAYED TO BE SEEN OF MEN:

The Jewish System Of Prayer Made Display Very Easy.

The Jew Prayed Standing, With Hands Stretched Out, Palms Upwards, And With Head Bowed.

Make Sure To Be At A Busy Street Comer, Or In A Crowded City Square:

So That Others See With What Devotion One Prayed.

So That Others Might Admire One's Exceptional Piety.

HOW TO PRAY:

JESUS LAYS DOWN TWO GREAT RULES FOR PRAYER:

1. HE INSISTS TO KNOW:

ALL TRUE PRAYER MUST BE OFFERED TO GOD NOT FOR SHOW.

Jesus Had Criticism: They Were Praying To Men And Not To God.

Whether In Public Or In Private Prayer,

A Man Should Have,

No Thought In His Mind,

And No Desire In His Heart,

But God.

2. HE INSISTS TO REMEMBER:

THAT GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE AND RESPONSES IN LOVE.

Jesus Emphasized:

God Is Ready To Answer MORE Than We Are Ready To Pray.

His Gifts And His Grace Do Not Have To Be Coaxed For Response.

WE COME TO GOD WHOSE ONE WISH IS TO GIVE.