“Secret
Service of Giving”
CHRIST'S SECRETS TO A
REWARDING LIFE SERIES
MATTHEW 6:1-4
THEME: The primary motivation for life and service is to authentically
please our Lord. This is what sustains a genuinely righteous lifestyle…seeking to
please Christ with our giving.
RELEVANCE: one of the three great acts of holiness
practiced by the Jews in Jesus’ time was almsgiving. Clearly Jesus wants our
devotion to Him in a similar practice, but He wants the attitudes of our hearts
to be right. Hating hypocrisy in its multiple forms, Jesus prioritize
authenticity.
INTRODUCTION: Sincerity is transparent honesty, genuine purity, manifested
clarity, and unsullied innocence. It does not fear thorough examination of motives
and intentions, because there is nothing to hide. To ensure sincerity and
integrity in our daily life, we must examine our motives regarding worship,
material things, and our connections.
1. The true righteousness of the kingdom must be applied in
the everyday activities of life. Jesus related this principle to our relationships to God
in worship (Matt.
6:1–18), our material
things (Matt.
6:19–34), and to
other people (Matt. 7:1–20).
2. Jesus also warned about the danger of hypocrisy (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16), the sin of using
religion to cover up sin. A hypocrite is not a person who falls short of his
high ideals, or who occasionally sins, because all of us experience these
failures. A hypocrite deliberately uses religion to cover up
his sins and promote his own gains. They truly are “actors who wear a mask.”
Many people today are just ‘playing the role,’ they aren’t
what they appear to be.
3. The ‘uprightness’ of the Pharisees was insincerity and
dishonesty. They used religion for the applause of men, not for the
pleasure of God. But true righteousness must come from within. We should test
ourselves to see whether we are sincere and honest in our Christian commitments.
Christ applied this test to the area of giving.
MESSAGE:
Why do I give? (Matt. 6:1–4). Giving alms to the poor
Jesus did not condemn, but He did caution us to make sure that our hearts are
right as we do. This act can become self-centered, and not God-centered, done
to make us look good but not necessarily the Lord. So, how can we check our own
hearts?
Why Some Give—Acting (Matt. 6:1-2).
I.
The Pharisees used almsgiving to gain favor with God and
attention from men, both of which were wrong motives.
A.
No amount of giving can purchase salvation; for salvation
is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8–9).
B.
And to live for the praise of men is a foolish thing
because the glory of man does not last (1 Peter 1:24).
C.
Hypocrisy is severely critical evil (Matt. 6:2). It encompasses “acting”
or “pretending,” and is often associated with deceit, insincerity, and moral
duplicity. The Scriptures are replete with examples and warnings about the
dangerous consequences of hypocrisy, emphasizing the vital nature of genuine
faith and integrity (Ps. 50:21; Matt. 23:25-26; Luke 12:1; Acts 5:1-11; Rom. 2:1).
II.
It is the glory and praise of God that really counts (Matt. 6:4)!
A.
While all these acts could glorify God, some of the
Pharisees did them only to bring honor to themselves. In these words, Jesus was
focusing on the motive behind any good deed.
B.
God rewards good deeds done for his glory alone. He does
not reward good deeds done for recognition, display, applause, or honor. In
fact, as Jesus explains in 6:2, the valued “reward” from others is the only reward that will be received.
C.
“Probably the vast majority of people are more influenced
by what men will say, than by what God Almighty thinks.”—G. Campbell Morgan
What Some Gain—Attention (Matt. 6:2).
III.
The Attention of Men.
A.
Our sinful nature is so subtle that it can defile even a
good thing like sharing with the poor.
B.
If our motive is to get the praise of men, then like the
Pharisees, we will call attention to what we are doing.
i. The phrase “do not sound a trumpet
before you” pictures people calling attention to themselves,
people who “blow their own horns.”
ii. Their actions may be good,
but their motives are hollow. Like actors in a play, they give their gifts in
front of an audience, hoping for praise.
C.
But if our motive is to serve God in love and please Him,
then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them.
i. As a result, we will grow
spiritually; God will be glorified; and others will be helped.
ii. Jesus emphasized the
importance of giving to those in need. He constantly repeated the idea of ‘when
you give,’ not ‘If you give.’ What can you and I do to give to those in
need?
IV.
No Reward from God.
A.
But if we give with the wrong motive, we rob ourselves of
blessing and reward and rob God of glory, even though the money we share might
help a needy person.
B.
These empty acts and whatever human praise are received are
the only rewards the hypocrites will receive for their trouble. God will reward
those who are sincere in their faith and whose motive in all their good deeds
is to glorify him.
How We Should Give—Authenticity (Matt.
6:3-4).
V.
Give Secretly. (Matt. 6:3-4).
A.
Helping other people becomes a real adventure if we remain
anonymous.
i. We may have to live
through times when our acts of generosity are neither recognized nor
appreciated.
ii. Regardless, we still must
give and help others when we can. Planning for this and setting aside money to
share is ideal.
B.
No one should call attention to the act of sharing.
i. It is easy to give with
mixed motives, to do something for someone if it will benefit us in return.
ii. Jesus advised, however,
that giving be done in secret.
C.
Jesus' words do not forbid record keeping, receipting, or
reporting procedures used in good stewardship.
i. It's nearly impossible to
keep secret the amount of charitable giving you do today.
ii. Donors are required by tax
authorities to keep very accurate records, and the larger the gift, the more
people must keep a record of it.
D.
What Jesus said was a warning against self-glorifying
demonstrations.
i. Christians can and should
apply the spirit of Jesus' teaching, even while they keep accurate financial
accounts. But He condemned giving to impress others.
ii. Believers should give
generously, out of compassion, when there is a need.
iii. “God has given us two
hands -- one for receiving and the other for giving.”—Billy Graham
E.
Does this mean that it is wrong to give openly? Must all
giving be anonymous?
i. Not necessarily, for
everyone in the early church knew that Barnabas had given the income from the
sale of his land (Acts 4:34–37). When the church members laid their money at the
Apostles’ feet, it was not done in secret.
ii. The difference, of course,
was in the motive and way it was done. A contrast
is Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11), who tried to use their gift to make people think they
were more spiritual than they really were.
iii. Learn the blessing of
keeping your donations secret. Jesus tells us:
1.
Don't be proud of your generosity. You are only a steward
of resources that belong to God already.
2.
Don't give for the honor bestowed on donors. Instead, give
in gratitude for what God has given you.
3.
Don't count your gifts as merit points for heaven. God will
reward you generously, but not on your invoice.
4.
Every time you give, count it as a reminder of your freedom
from the power of money and of your trust in Jesus alone for all good things.
VI.
Give Sincerely. (Matt. 6:4). Your heavenly Father will
notice your sharing and reward you for your giving spirit.
A.
The word for “reward” used here is
different from the word used in 6:2, for the reward is very different. The hypocrites receive
praise from people alone as their only “reward.” Those who give in secret,
however, will receive a “reward” from the Father—a reward of greater value because it will
be perfect and eternal.
B.
God does not promise an immediate reward, but it will be
public and external. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving
sacrifice. Check the motives behind your next good deed by asking, “Would
I still do this if no one would ever know that I did it?”
C.
The great news is believers can live free of hypocrisy and pretense
by being real, genuine, godly, and authentic everyday (1Pet. 1:16; Rom. 12:9
CONCLUSION:
By first
(Matt. 6:33) putting God’s will first in our
lives He will be glorified because we give with sincerity. If we have real
faith in our Father (free of hypocrisy), He will meet our needs. Hypocrisy is deeply
and profoundly serious sin. It is driven by a desire for human praise,
reputation, or the hiding of personal flaws. Insincerity is often the actions of
a false, supposedly ‘moral’ person who hides multiple internal failures. It is
holding oneself to a different standard than others or faking integrity; it is
condemned as a form of spiritual dishonesty that demands severe judgment. While
everyone may have moments of hypocrisy due to our imperfections, persistent,
patterned hypocrisy is considered a deeply destructive, anti-spiritual condition.
If we live out the true righteousness of the kingdom, we will avoid this sin as
we live for God’s glory. As part of our Lord’s ‘secret service’ our motivation
is authenticity. Seek to please Christ with your genuine giving.
Beloved, our
lives are changed by the gospel and growth in Christ, by God’s acceptance of us
based on the perfect sacrifice of Christ, as a result our compassion grows for
others. We will recognize flaws, deficiencies, and sin in others. That person’s
a sinner just like ourselves who needs more of Christ. Instead of ridiculing, condemning,
or judging them, we do whatever we can to help them trust God more alongside us.
Ephesians
4:23-25, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak
every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
