Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 6:16-34 (Click title for audio access)

"Fasting & Finances..." • 6.6.10 • Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- We stopped at the mid-point of the Sermon on the Mount last week, having looked at giving and prayer, essential Christian activities. They are to be a part of our lives.

- The important part to us is that we do them to seen by God, and not men. Our practice is for His pleasure, not theirs.

- This week, we'll finish this chapter, looking next at the subject of fasting.

Text

• 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. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." Jesus addresses the practice of fasting. Fasting was a regular part of life and should be a part of ours as well.

- Let's talk about what fasting is. Simply put, fasting is the abstention from food for the purpose of prayer and contemplation. It is the act of elevating the spiritual need over the physical need.

- When the pangs of hunger strike, you will use that as a signal to pray instead of eating. It is a practical way to show submission to God and the subjugation of our flesh.

- In the Old Testament, there are times of fasting that are recorded that instruct us when we are to fast. For example, David fasted while praying for the life of his first son with Bathsheba.

- There is a sense of greater urgency in fasting, where there is a focus in our prayer to God for a breakthrough in some circumstance.

- Let's be clear here: Prayer and fasting are never ways to manipulate God into agreeing with us. He is under no obligation to respond to us, just because we get "serious!"

- Fasting allows us to have a greater concentration upon the Lord, and as a result, we hear what we normally would have missed.

- Historically, fasting accompanied times of repentance. Ninevah, having heard the word of God's pending judgment, called a national fast before the Lord.

- In the time of Christ, there were days that were appointed for fasting. And as usual, the actors played their part by working up a sad face.

- Those with hypocritical hearts did all they could to announce that they were fasting. Jesus says that they would disfigure their faces.

- The NLT says that they made their faces pale, while the RSV says that they made a gloomy face. Either way, the point is that they made people aware of how they were struggling for God!

- As we mentioned in the cases of giving and praying, there was a temptation to do these things for the purpose of being seen. All of us can relate. We want to be noticed and affirmed.

- As with the previous exercises, the reward that we settle for is the applause of men. God's applause is much preferred.

• Matthew 6:17,18 : "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

- Notice this emphatic "but you." Christians that are truly seeking righteousness and are such inwardly, will always be a contrast to the world.

- The tendency in the case of giving, prayer and now fasting, is to throw the baby out with the bathwater! The logic sounds like "hypocrites abuse this and my skepticism ruins my enjoyment.

- But that being the case, there is nothing wrong with the excercise! It is still a good idea and beneficial activity to fast.

- I might say that Jesus again assumes that believers will want to fast in a way that pleases Him. He gives us the pattern.

- Jesus simply says, "Keep it between me and you!" Don't let the world know about your struggle. Use shampoo, keep clean and shave.

- He'll reward you now, as He meets with you and speaks to your petition. The intimacy with Christ is enough! And, He'll reward you then, when He acknowledges you in heaven!

• Matthew 6:19-21 : "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." : Jesus now moves us from our relationship to Him, to our relationship with material things and finances. I'm fairly interested in the connection that Jesus is trying to make.

- A Christian's life is tied up in the intimacy that He has with the Lord. If that is not his or her focus, if his or her relationship with Christ is lacking, he will find his excitement elsewhere.

- In this case, Jesus begins with treasure. The tendency for each of us is to store up treasure.

- Jesus tells us that the road to life is split in two directions. Here, there are two treasuries. The first treasury is bound to Earth.

- Jesus is refers here to luxuries, not necessities. The luxuries themselves are not inherantly evil. The problem is that people's possessions often possess them!

- This word refers to anything of value that can be kept. Not having banks in those days, most people kept their treasures in a secret room or even embroidered them into clothing.

- Clothing, coins and jewelry would have been found in these closets.

- The problem was and is, that treasures stored here, not matter how secure, are susceptible to decay and thievery.

- Jesus says that it's possible to store your treasure in heaven. Your valuables there last and are safe. Your investment will ever be safe!

- But here is the crux of the matter: Our heart follows our treasure! We will continually consider our home if we have treasure there.

- How do you track your treasure? Some will have little trouble identifying their treasure. But in case you do, let me ask a few questions that might help you.

- Look at your spending. Where does your wallet open the most? Look at the time that is spent. What receives the greatest amount of time?

- More than anything, if you had to evacuate your home because of potential disaster, what are you going to grab for?

- Jesus encourages you to put your investment into heaven, so that your heart will follow.

• Matthew 6:22,23 : "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" : This is one of the more difficult passages in the sermon on the mount. We can begin to unpack it by looking at what has preceded it and what comes after it.

- The context will help us to understand what it is that Jesus was saying here. Before and after, Jesus calls our attention to attitudes that we are to have toward material things.

- Before, Jesus talks about treasure. After, Jesus talks about serving either God or money.

- It seems then that Jesus refers here to the way that we perceive these material things. Our eyes and what they are pointed at, reveal to us where our body is going.

- There are two treasuries and here, Jesus tells us that there are also two perspectives.

- Here the eye is used metaphorically of the faculty of understanding. If we understand or perceive the value of life as being in heaven, then our whole body will follow in that revelation.

- Our eye will be singularly focused on Christ.

- If I become convinced that the material things of this world are susceptible to loss, but that heavenly treasures are eternal, my whole body will be full of light.

- The opposite of course is true, if I my perception is bad. I begin to live for things and are dominated by them, leading to darkness and yes, greater darkness.

- Where are your eyes focused today? Are they more on Christ today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow? I pray that would be the case.

• Matthew 6:24 : "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." : Please take note of the words "No one." Jesus, an expert on human nature, understands perfectly, that we cannot be divided in our loyalties.

- There are two treasures, two perspectives and two masters.

- We may be conflicted for a time, but eventually loyalty for one master will drown out any love for the other. Having a Master assumes loyalty and priority.

- For a slave to consider dual employment would be utterly ridiculous. There was no such thing. You either had a master or you were free.

- The words of Christ are so simple and concise, but in our experience we know how easy it is to become conflicted.

- Jesus tells us that it's either God or mammon. Both desire devotion and both are exclusive masters to the other.

- Mammon is the visual master of today. The gotta-have-it-now impulse is the motivator. And if one does not have it, one must compromise in any way to attain it.

- What do you serve? Is it God or is it things? Interestingly, when you serve things, you have all the reward that that is.

- Sadly, mammon always draws you to more and will never really be satisfied.

- On the flip side, God calls you to serve Him and His interests. When you have followed Him, He gives you all that you desire and you are satisfied and content in Him.

• Matthew 6:25-30 : "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" : Jesus understands the conflict in our souls between the seen and the unseen, the material and the spiritual. We worry about our lives and our bodies.

- This is why we lay up treasures. This is why our eyes can tend to be out of focus. This is how we begin to serve two masters.

- Jesus says that we are not to worry about our life. "Well, easy for you to say! You are God, You are perfect and You see everything as it will be! I'm only human!"

- It's been said that Jesus never asks us to do something that cannnot be done. If Jesus tells us not to worry about our life, then we can choose to obey.

- Does this mean that we let loose all of our responsibilities and cares? Jesus is warning against an attitude that obsesses over the things of this life.

- Jesus explains why. First, we don't need to worry because God is capable of meeting needs!

- Certainly, there are some wants that need to be refined, but needs are covered. Food and clothing are in abundance for the birds and the flowers. Take a lesson from each: They don't worry!

- Second, worrying aside from what it feels like, accomplishes nothing! You cannot affect anything by worrying. Your situation will not change if you choose to worry about it!

- The more you worry about it, the more you are disabled!

- Finally, worry chokes out faith. "Oh you of little faith." Every opportunity to worry is a chance to believe God and to have our faith grown!

• Matthew 6:31,32 : "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." : Do you believe that? Do you believe that He knows of your need?

- The final indictment against worrying for the believer is that you begin to resemble the world more than you do a Christian!

- The word "Gentiles" refers to nations and in this context, people who are unbelieving.

- They do not recognize their Father. They have not entered into a relationship with God. They must worry about their life, as that is their entire existence.

- Do the Gentiles around you think that you are just like them when it comes to worrying about your life? A non-anxious life is one of your greatest apologetic tools.

• Matthew 6:33-34 : "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." : Aim at finding the Kingdom of God first. First, as in order of priority. First, as in above all other loyalties.

- What are your first thoughts in the morning? Who receives your first attention? Let it be that the Lord. Let Him hear you right away.

- The word for seek is in the present active imperative, meaning that this is the thing that must be done now and forever! It's an endless search, a continual trek toward Kingdom values.

- The Kingdom of God must be our greatest desire!

- His Kingdom and His righteousness! To find the Kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ and then to act as He would have you act.

- The promise is from the Lord: All these material needs will be yours. They will be added to you, not put upon you!

- Tomorrow will worry about itself. Today is the day of the Kingdom!

Conclusion

- Fasting denies our flesh and feeds our spirit. Ironically, the more our spirit is fed, the more our concerns and cares are satisfied.

- Jesus, the creator of life, let's us know that the way to satisfaction in life, is to surrender it to Him, fully and in every aspect.