MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-18
Quiet Ministry
#16 - SERMON ON THE MOUNT
An elderly widow, restricted in her activities, was eager to serve Christ. After praying about this, she realized that she could bring blessing to others by playing the piano. The next day she placed this small ad in the Oakland Tribune: “Pianist will play hymns by phone daily for those who are sick and despondent—the service is free.” The notice included the number to dial. When people called, she would ask, “What hymn would you like to hear?”
Within a few months her playing had brought cheer to several hundred people. Many of them freely poured out their hearts to her, and she was able to help and encourage them. Source unknown http://www.bible.org/illus/m/toc.htm
Howard Hendricks was ministering in Fourth Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. It was a Thursday morning father-son breakfast, six-thirty. It was to be over by quarter of eight. There were many people from the military, quite a few people from various government offices, some craftsmen, laborers of various kinds--really quite a mix.
After Hendricks had finished speaking and the meeting was dismissed, he looked over to his right, and there was Senator Mark Hatfield, stacking chairs and picking up napkins that had fallen on the floor. Hendricks said “Ladies and gentlemen, if you are impressed that you are a United States senator, you don't stack chairs and pick up napkins. If you are impressed that you are God's gift to the body of Christ as the great preacher of this age, you don't stoop to serve. If you are impressed that, really, you are the greatest thing that ever happened to your local church, you do not serve. You live to be served.”
-- Howard Hendricks, "The Problem of Discrimination," Preaching Today, Tape No. 76., Bible Illustrator
Linda Clare, Eugene, OR. Said, “My long hours working as a childcare provider often tempted me to complain about my job. Although I didn't know what work God wanted me to do, I was sure it must be something other than "just" babysitting.
Then one day, a father who came to pick up his toddler commented, "You taught Kasey to pray. She says grace at home now, and my wife and I are thinking of attending church." God's direction suddenly became clear. Now, when others ask what I do for a living, I smile and say, "I 'just' babysit for the Lord." -- Linda Clare, Eugene, OR."Heart to Heart," Today's Christian Woman.
Each one of these illustrations that I have just shared with you remind me of a basic truth – There are blessings in quiet ministry. Ministry is service. Quiet ministry is simply going about your business doing what God wants you to do without seeking attention or praise for it.
You are not Billy Graham.
You are not a famous doctor.
You are not a world renowned business person.
You are not a brilliant scientist.
You are not a pastor of a church of 500 members.
You are not foreign missionary.
You are not a popular actor or singer.
But if you are a child of God because you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, God has given you ministry.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Colossians 3:24 - Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Galatians 5:13 - For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
As we return to the Sermon on the Mount this morning, we find Jesus telling us that the best kind of ministry that we can have is quiet ministry.
Quiet ministry is simply serving the Lord without drawing attention to ourselves. The Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day often drew attention to themselves when they performed religious service. They wanted the attention and praise of men. They were hypocrites. They lacked sincerity.
Matthew 6:1 - Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
The word “alms” refers to ‘acts of righteousness’. This could refer to anything that is by nature good and helpful.
Jesus is saying “When you do good things, don’t do them to be seen of men. If you do things to receive men’s praise, you have no praise from God.”
If I do something so someone will think I’m a nice person, I have no reward from God.
If I do something so people will note how religious I am, I have no reward from God.
If I do something good so that in return someone will do good to me, I have no reward from God.
Is Jesus saying that if I do something good and someone sees it, I get no reward from God? No.
Jesus is saying, if I do something good looking for the praise and adoration of men, I have no reward from God.
If you are doing something good out of devotion to God, you will draw as little attention to yourself as possible.
When people find out about what you have done, it will not be because you drew attention to yourself, but because God wants your good works to be a testimony for Him.
Matthew 5:14-16 - Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
So, the key word is “motive”.
If your motive is to bring glory to God, you will do things quietly. You will have a quiet ministry. And if, you are a Christian, you will be awarded by God at the “Judgment Seat of Christ”.
2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
In the passage before us Jesus itemizes three areas of quiet ministry.
QUIET SHARING – Vss. 2-4
QUIET SUPPLICATION – Vss. 5-8
QUIET SACRIFICE – Vss. 16-18
QUIET SHARING – Vss. 2-4
Vs. 2 – In this verse Jesus is talking about sharing with the poor, giving alms to those in need.
Jesus is telling us, “Don’t blow your own horn” when you give. Don’t make a big deal of it. There are people who give to charity, and yes even churches, so that their giving will be recognized. That’s what a hypocrite will do. He is acting as if he or she is concerned for those in need. In reality, he or she is concerned that they be thought well of.
Jesus tells us here, “that they have their reward”. They actually do receive the praise of men. But they receive no reward from God.
Vs. 3 – Jesus gives a figurative illustration of quiet ministry. Quiet ministry doesn’t let the active hand, which for most of us is the right hand, let the inactive hand, the left hand, know what it is doing. We are to do our giving and then forget it!
Vs. 4 – Giving in secret doesn’t always mean that nobody knows about your giving. It means that you do it as quietly as possible.
In many ways this church is a good giving church.
However, you will notice that we never publish a list of donors. We do keep records for tax purposes, but only the treasurer has access to these records.
As you probably know, our giving to missions is done by a faith-promise. By faith, people promise what they will give for the year to missions. But when the promises are submitted there are no names placed on them.
When someone has a special need and the person is in our church, the deacons quietly use the Benevolent Fund to help meet that need. Or individuals will quietly and sometimes anonymously share. On more than one occasion, I’ve been asked to see that someone in the church family receive an anonymous gift.
If there is a need for someone outside the congregation, we will sometimes receive a special offering. But when we do, it’s again done quietly.
Please notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “If you give alms”, he says “When you give alms”. Giving is something that God has designed to help to meet the needs of those suffering.
When Paul had a meeting concerning his ministry to the Gentiles with some of the early church leaders, Peter, James, and John, Paul reports, Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. (Galatians 2:10)
Romans 12:13 - Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Turn please to 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 - A great example of how giving should be done is shown by the church of Macedonia.
· The Macedonians did not give because they were wealthy. They gave out of their poverty. Vs. 2
· The Macedonians gave liberally. Vs. 2
· The Macedonians gave sacrificially. Vs. 3
· The Macedonians gave enthusiastically. Vs. 4
· The Macedonians gave themselves to the Lord, first. Vs. 5
After a great gathering of Christian youth, the offering was being counted. At the bottom of the offering, the counters found a picture of a teenage girl. They all made the same immediate assumption. Some boy had taken a girl's wallet, taken out the picture and thrown it in the offering basket as a practical joke. That's the kind of thing teenagers sometimes do. Then someone turned the picture over. There was something written on the back. "I have nothing to give, but I give myself."
If we give ourselves to the Lord, everything we have belongs to Him. It will be much easier to carry on a ministry of giving.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 - But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. [7] Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Quiet Sharing – Jesus wants us to give generously, but he wants us to do it quietly.
QUIET SHARING – Vss. 2-4
QUIET SUPPLICATION – Vss. 5-6
Vs. 5 – Please note that Jesus is not condemning corporate prayer, praying together, or out loud in church.
Jesus is condemning those who make their private prayers public. These people pray where they can be seen and appreciated by men for their dedication. These people do not pray to be heard of God. They pray to be heard of men.
Jesus says “They have their reward” which is the praise of men.
There is another challenge in this verse for those of us who pray publicly. We must be careful that our prayers in church and elsewhere are actually talking to God, and not trying to tickle the ears of men.
Vs. 6 – Notice again that Jesus is not saying, “if” you pray.
Jesus says “when” you pray!
Prayer is to be a very integral part of the life of the Christian.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice evermore. [17] Pray without ceasing. [18] In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Ephesians 6:18 - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Jesus tells us here, that our personal prayers to God are to be just that, personal.
Jesus tells us to go into our “closets” to pray and to shut the door.
A closet can be any place that you can be alone with God.
A closet can be the living room when everyone else is asleep.
A closet can be your office at work.
A closet can be your automobile as you drive in the car.
A closet can be sitting alone on a porch.
A closet is actually any place you can get alone with God without outside disturbances.
Now why would you want to get alone with God?
1. Only God can answer your prayers.
2. Your body, Christian, is the temple of the Holy Ghost. God lives inside.
3. God wants your fellowship and your dependence on Him.
4. God is deserving of your worship and adoration.
5. God understands and knows you better than anyone else. You can pour out your heart to Him and He will understand.
6. God has promised to answer your prayers.
Matthew 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Today is Father’s Day. Dad, you need to be a man of prayer.
· Pray for the salvation of your family.
· Pray for the Spiritual development of your family.
· Pray for the needs of your family.
· Pray for the man or woman your son or daughter will marry.
· Pray for protection for your family - physical and spiritual
We have heard of praying mothers. Men, we need to be a generation of praying fathers.
Our children and our churches are not what they should be because today’s Christian men are not men of prayer.
And do you know why prayer meeting is poorly attended by men? It is because men have never learned to pray in public! And men have never learned to pray in public because they have never learned to pray in private!
God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men…What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer. Preacher and Prayer, E. M. Bounds, 1907, pp. 5,7 http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage
Jesus is calling us to quiet ministry.
QUIET SHARING – Vss. 2-4
QUIET SUPPLICATION – Vss. 5-6
QUIET SACRIFICE – Vss. 16-18
Vs. 16 – Like giving and praying, fasting is a private
ministry. When a Christian fasts, nobody should know it.
People who wanted to appear religious would do all they could to show that they were fasting.
Fasting may be done in times of morning.
Fasting may be done in times of conviction of sin.
Fasting may be done in times of prolonged prayer.
Jesus seemed to assume that there would be times when the Christian would fast.
Vss. 17-18 – Jesus is telling us here that when we fast, don’t make it a public issue. Go out of your way to not look like your fasting.
God, who will see your private fast, will reward you openly.
I’d like to make an application of this principle.
Perhaps you don’t fast now, or have never fasted.
But there are times when you have made other sacrifices for God or for the benefit of man.
Perhaps you sacrificed a dinner out to give to a missions project.
Perhaps you have sacrificed your time to help a Christian friend in need.
Perhaps you have sacrificed your own career for the sake of your husband and/or children.
Perhaps you’ve sacrificed to take care of your parents.
Perhaps you’ve sacrificed for the sake of your church.
I believe that we should perform these sacrifices as quietly as possible and not draw attention to ourselves.
And I further believe, that God, who sees us privately will reward us openly.
And besides, Christian, when we consider what Christ has done for us, no sacrifice is too great.
Let’s be like the servant in Jesus’ story in Luke 17:7-10
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? [8] And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? [9] Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. [10] So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
QUIET SHARING – Vss. 2-4
QUIET SUPPLICATION – Vss. 5-6
QUIET SACRIFICE – Vss. 16-18